2 replies to this topic

[pash greenblue]

aloha everyone

hibiscus tiliaceus is usd by the aboriganal tribes of far north queensland,the young leaves are eaten so are the flowers

i eat the young leaves they are quite nice without any harsh tastse's and the flowers are delicous

what i want to find out is

1 ) what is the vitamen,mineral's and other good health properties

2) what akaloids does it have

3) is there a lab where i can send of samples to get it tested

the reason i want this infomation is because i am cosidering this could be a new superfood powder on the block

being a tree leave food it is already infront ,also it is a wild food which is extra good

going on taste alone its very nutrual which leads me to beleive in its potensail

it is very abundent in QLD

when i mean waht vitamens and minerals ,i mean how do i find out what good properties it has ,the same as when they say how cailciam ect the moringa leave has

please i apreciate your feedback

i am new to the forum and i am here for the long run

i wlll keep you all posted on my findings ,thank you very much many peace and blessings

[Psylo]

Hi, and welcome.

On a crude, DIY level I regularly test for starch content of liquid by using an iodine solution. The presence of starch is identified by the solution turning a dark purple, and subsequent tests with less starch in solution (I am undertaking a conversion process so that there will be little to no starch) will result in a less-darker outcome, until there is eventually none at all.

For the purposes of testing for Vitamin C, which is also reactive to iodine, I believe that you can make up your own starchy solution with iodine to get that purple appearance. Now take a couple of vitamin C containing solutions where you know the vitamin content (try fruit juice at 100%, then at 50%, then at 25%) and add a dozen drops into your starch/iodine medium, and you should observe a lighter coulour indicating the higher presence of vitamin C.

Now that you have set your standards, pulp some of the hibiscus tiliaceus into some water (take note of the ratio), and use the decanted solution for your tests.

This is probably no help, as it maybe unlikely that Hibiscus tiliaceus contains any vitamin C at all. But I hope it might illustrate that tests may be performed at hom. Some research into old biochem school books etc might just uncover similar DIY tests that may steer you in the right direction before you spend the big dollars on formal lab analysis

Cheers,

Psylo

[Psylo]

Oh and if you want to know if there is any sugar content, I have brix refractometer at home. You can express post me some liquid from the pulped plant material and I'll be happy to test it for you.