Cheryl Green, Contributor
IT HAS been discovered through research done at the Scientific Research Council (SRC) that sorrel can be used in a myriad of other food items such as chutney and sorrel squash, which the Food Technology Institute, SRC, successfully formulated. There are now jams, jellies, marmalades, teas, ice-creams, sauces, tarts and other desserts formulated from the sorrel calyces. The calyces, along with the seeds, leaves and stalks, have been considered as useful for their medicinal properties.
The seed contains protein, starch, fibre and is rich in esters and plant acids such as myristic acid, palmitic acid, paomitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and other fatty acids. Research studies have validated the anti-inflammatory properties of these oils, hence their medicinal application. The calyx has been researched and scientifically proven to contain anthocyanins which are natural antioxidants. The Natural Products Unit of the Scientific Research Council has conducted antioxidant studies confirming the antioxidant activities of the calyx. The leaves have been used in other cultures for diuretic purposes and as emollients.
The Natural Products Unit of the Scientific Research Council has developed a line of cosmoceuticals utilising sorrel seed oil. The oil was incorporated into a number of personal care products such as lotions, body wash, soaps, shampoos and an emollient age-defying eye cream. The suite of products was showcased at a recently held Sorrel Festival at the east lawn of Devon House last month.
IMMENSE POTENTIAL
Apparently sorrel is not just a drink at Christmas time anymore, but it has applications that run the gamut from foods, condiments, cosmetics to medicinal pharmaceuticals. With this said, it is easy to see the immense potential of this plant to sustainably cultivate, harvest, and be utilised in the nutraceutical, health food, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries.
The scientific findings from the University of the West Indies, (UWI), on the health benefits from sorrel will no doubt have positive implications for the overall production of sorrel, boosting the agricultural sector and supporting the manufacturers of sorrel-based products, while generating employment in all facets of the industry. This new appreciation for the plant will enhance the socio-economic milieu of the Jamaican economy. The cumulation of all these local scientific results demonstrates the prime potential for the plant to be a useful natural product, with an array of food, beverage and medicinal applications.
