Roselle is a medicinal plant and has been used in various animal studies as a blood glucose lowering agent. However, the effect of roselle calyces on blood glucose in human is not yet determined. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine the effect of roselle calyces on blood glucose and satiety responses in healthy individuals. In this randomized, controlled, crossover study two types of breads were tested in 20 healthy subjects. The breads included, control bread (CB) prepared from 100% all-purpose wheat flour and roselle bread (RB) incorporated with 4% roselle calyces powder. Blood glucose of the study subjects was tested by glucometer, using finger prick method. Palatability, satiety and gastrointestinal symptoms were determined by using 9-point hedonic scale, visual analogue scale (VAS) and gastrointestinal questionnaire, respectively. The results showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels of study individuals after taking RB compared to CB at time points 30, 45 and 60 min (P <0.001). Composite appetite score was not significantly affected after consuming any of the two breads. Compared to CB, RB significantly decreased incremental peak glucose (IPG), increased glycaemic profile (GP) and exhibited lower glycemic index (GI). The present study concluded that bread incorporated with roselle calyces powder significantly reduced postprandial level of blood glucose in healthy individuals and hence consumption of RB in place of CB would exert beneficial effect on blood glucose level.

Keywords: appetite, bread, glycemic response, roselle