Enhancement of extraction effectiveness and stability of anthocyanin from Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

Anthocyanin, a main bioactive compound found in Hibiscus sabdariffa L. extract, has attracted different fields such as food additives and functional foodstuffs due to its wide range of possible applications. However, commercial applications of anthocyanins as colourants and pharmaceuticals have been limited due to their defective extraction yield and poor stability. This study aimed to improve the extraction efficiency and enhance the stability of anthocyanin extracted from H. subdariffa L. The method of enzyme-microwave assisted extraction (EMAE, 15.37 ± 0.41 mg/g anthocyanin based on raw material) resulted in enhancing the anthocyanin recovery efficiency up to 15.35%, 23.68% and 28.04% compared to each technique of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE, 13.01 ± 0.22 mg/g), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE, 11.73 ± 0.28 mg/g) and enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE, 11.06 ± 0.33 mg/g). The FT-IR and UV–Vis spectra showed the identified characterization of anthocyanin. For stabilization, the colour deviation values of anthocyanin extract in cases of individuals adding catechin 1.5%, chitosan 2%, or chondroitin sulfate 3% were 9.22, 6.53, and 7.59, respectively, while the combination of the three co-pigments gave the lowest color deviation of 4.11 after 30 h investigation. This combined method prolonged the shelf-life of anthocyanin powder to 16.2 months and maintained its antioxidant activity by about 50%. In the trend of exploitation and application of bioactive components, this study would offer a promising approach to improve the extraction efficiency and the stability of anthocyanin from H. sabdariffa L. as well as valuable information for large-scale anthocyanin process and storage.