| Summary: | Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is cultivated to obtain fiber
from the stems, oil from the seeds, and to harvest its
calyces. Currently, there is a growing interest for the calyces
due to studies that have proven their functional feature
as the antioxidant effect, alluded to its anthocyanin content,
and other benefits that expand their use to the pharmaceutical
sector. However, there are no studies focused on relating
all the factors involved in the process, from sowing and
preharvest management, to harvest, postharvest management,
distribution and the sale of dried calyces. The aim
of this review is to highlight the factors involved in Roselle
management such as variety, crop nutrition, sowing date,
irrigation, plagues and diseases incidence and use of phytohormones.
To establish the optimal time of calyces harvest,
studies have been focused on determining aspects such as
size, pH, dry matter content and anthocyanins at different
times after blooming. As for the postharvest, the trend marked
by studies is to implement improvements in the drying
process of calyces and to let producers, distributors and
sellers know the quality standards because much of the damage
during postharvest is associated with deficiencies in
the way calyces are handled.
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