"FermentCheck": Prototype of Smartphone App for pH Monitoring from Extract Hibiscus Flower
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30742/ijremte.v3i1.28Keywords:
Monitoring pH, hibiscus flower extract, prototype, smartphoneAbstract
Monitoring pH is a critical process in various fields, including food science, agriculture, and home fermentation. While electronic pH meters are standard, natural indicators like hibiscus flower extract, which changes color across pH levels due to its anthocyanin content, offer an accessible and eco-friendly alternative. However, traditional visual color matching is highly subjective and prone to human error due to lighting and perception variations. This research presents the design and prototyping of "FermentCheck," a smartphone application developed to digitize and objectify pH monitoring using hibiscus extract. The system architecture, mapped via Use Case diagrams, establishes distinct functional workflows for Users to do simple measurement and Administrators to made calibration and model updates. The developed User Interface (UI) guides users through a streamlined process to capture a sample image and utilizing a back-end regression model to translate extracted color data into a precise pH value. The prototype demonstrates that smartphones can successfully bridge biochemical colorimetric reactions with mobile computing. By converting subjective visual assessments into quantifiable, trackable digital data, FermentCheck offers low-cost and portable analytical tool for fermentation monitoring.
References
Hernández‐Carranza, P., et.al. (2022). Effect of impregnation‐osmodehydration with Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts on the bioactive compounds and sensory acceptance of apple wedges: Fresh, convective dried, and stored. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 46(11). https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.17110
Hamrita, B., et.al. (2022). Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Anti-Swarming Properties of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Calyx Extracts: In Vitro and In Silico Modelling Approaches. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2022, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1252672
Ochoa‐Velasco, C. E. and Ruiz-López, I. (2019). Mass transfer modeling of the antioxidant extraction of roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa). Journal of Food Science and Technology, 56(2), 1008-1015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-03567-8
Odunaye-Badmus, S., Oseni, T. I. A., Akanisi, B. O., Elemile, O. B., Afolabi-Obe, E. A., Makinde, M. T., … & Monye, I. N. (2025). A Systematic Review on the Efficacy, Side Effects and Interactions of Hibiscus Sabdariffa on Blood Pressure Control.. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.01.25332612
Adusei, S. (2020). Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Evaluation of Methanolic Extract of Hibiscus Sabdariffa. Iptek the Journal for Technology and Science, 31(2), 139. https://doi.org/10.12962/j20882033.v31i2.6572
Chaudhari, H. and Chavan, G. (2022). Untitled. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 13(8). https://doi.org/10.13040/ijpsr.0975-8232.13(8).3112-27
Jung, E., Kim, Y., & Joo, N. (2013). Physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 93(15), 3769-3776. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6256
Wang, L., Jensen, K. D., Hatzakis, N. S., Zhang, M., & Sørensen, T. J. (2022). Robust Dual Optical Sensor for pH and Dissolved Oxygen. Acs Sensors, 7(5), 1506-1513. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.2c00242
Allwood, J. G., Wakeling, L., Post, L., & Bean, D. C. (2023). Food safety considerations in the production of traditional fermented products: Japanese rice koji and miso. Journal of Food Safety, 43(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/jfs.13048
Sonawane, J. M., Mahadevan, R., Pandey, A., & Greener, J. (2022). Recent progress in microbial fuel cells using substrates from diverse sources. Heliyon, 8(12), e12353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12353
Abdelsattar, A. S., Hakim, T. A., Rezk, N., Farouk, W. M., Hassan, Y. Y., Gouda, S. M., … & El‐Shibiny, A. (2022). Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Ocimum basilicum L. and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Extracts and Their Antibacterial Activity in Combination with Phage ZCSE6 and Sensing Properties. Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials, 32(6), 1951-1965. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-022-02234-y
Li, J., Lu, Y., Lin, I., Kang, W., Chen, H., Lu, H., … & Wang, H. (2019). Reversing UVB‐induced photoaging with Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx aqueous extract. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 100(2), 672-681. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10063
Nasir Hayat Khan, Ibrahim M. Abdulbaqi, Yusrida Darwis, Nafiu Aminu, Siok-Yee Chan. (2022). A stability-indicating HPLC-UV method for the quantification of anthocyanin in Roselle (Hibiscus Sabdariffa L.) spray-dried extract, oral powder, and lozenges. Heliyon, Elsevier. Vol. 8, No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09177
Cho Urielle M’be 1, Joël Scher 1, Claire Gaiani 1, N’Guessan Georges Amani, Jennifer Burgain. (2023). Impact of Processing and Physicochemical Parameter on Hibiscus sabdariffa Calyxes Biomolecules and Antioxidant Activity: From Powder Production to Reconstitution. Foods, MDPI. Vol. 12, No. 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12162984
Najma Farhaten Latiff, et.al. (2025). Halochromic smart film: A gelatin‐based pH‐sensitive film embedded with anthocyanin from roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) extracts for potential food spoilage indicator application. Journal Food Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.70134
Amarasinghe, H., Weerakkody, N. S., & Waisundara, V. Y. (2018). Evaluation of physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of kombucha “Tea Fungus” during extended periods of fermentation. Food Science & Nutrition, 6(3), 659-665. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.605
Wuyts, S., Beeck, W. V., Oerlemans, E., Wittouck, S., Claes, I., Boeck, I. D., … & Lebeer, S. (2018). Carrot Juice Fermentations as Man-Made Microbial Ecosystems Dominated by Lactic Acid Bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 84(12). https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00134-18
Beeck, W. V., Verschueren, C., Wuyts, S., Broek, M. F. L. v. d., Uyttendaele, M., & Lebeer, S. (2020). Robustness of fermented carrot juice against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 335, 108854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108854
Chaithra K. P., Dr. Vinod T. P. (2022). A Smartphone Coupled Freshness Indicator Prepared by Rub-coating of Hibiscus Flowers on Paper substrates for Visual Monitoring of the Spoilage of Milk. Vol. 07, No. 41. https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.202201839

