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China rose, also called hibiscus, is a flowering shrub whose leaves and flowers are rich in anthocyanins and flavonoids, plant pigments with antioxidant properties, and it has a long history in traditional Ayurvedic use. People mostly look at it for hair growth, and in rodents, extracts applied to the skin increased hair follicle numbers and hair length. Nearly all of this work was in animals or lab dishes, no human trials exist, and the evidence is very limited.
Sources: PMID 12880024; PMID 21506934
- Updated
- How we grade
- 4 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 1
- Outcomes
- 4
- Graded outcomes
- 0004
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hair Growth In rodent models, topical application of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaf and flower extracts increased hair follicle count, hair length, and follicular density in albino rats. Effects are attributed to nutritive and antioxidant properties of the plant, but no human trials have been conducted. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
| Gastric Ulcer Protection In animal studies, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower extracts demonstrated gastroprotective effects against ethanol- and aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in rats. The mechanism may involve mucilage content and prostaglandin modulation, but no human data exist. | Changes; see studies | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Studies that measured gastric ulcer protection | ||||||
| Antifertility Effects In female rat models, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower extracts showed antifertility effects, consistent with its traditional Ayurvedic use as an emmenagogue. The mechanism may involve anti-estrogenic properties, but no human trials have been conducted. | Changes; see studies | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Studies that measured antifertility effects | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant Activity In vitro assays (DPPH, ABTS) demonstrate antioxidant activity from anthocyanins and flavonoids in Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flowers. Activity is not exceptional compared to other anthocyanin-rich sources, and no human studies have confirmed in vivo relevance. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Studies that measured antioxidant activity | ||||||
Key findings
- Hair GrowthImproves (the measure goes up)
- Gastric Ulcer ProtectionChanges; see studies
- Antioxidant ActivityImproves (the measure goes up)
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- Grade D
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Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed