Guava
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 Apple guava (Psidium guajava)
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About 100, see text. |
Guava is a genus of about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. Native to Mexico and Central America, northern South America, parts of the Caribbean and some parts of North Africa, it is now cultivated throughout the tropics. Numerous references in medical research identify guava as Psidium guajava.
They are typical Myrtoideae, with tough dark leaves that are opposite, simple, elliptic to ovate and 5-15 cm long. The flowers are white, with five petals and numerous stamens.
In several tropical regions, including Hawaii, some species (namely Cattley guava a.k.a. strawberry guava, P. littorale) have become invasive weed shrubs. On the other hand, several species have become very rare and at least one (Jamaican guava, P. dumetorum), is already extinct.
The genera Accara and Feijoa (= Acca, pineapple guava) were formerly included.
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Cultivation
Guavas are cultivated in many tropical and subtropical countries for their edible fruit. Several species are grown commercially; apple guava (P. guajava) and its cultivars are those most commonly traded internationally.
Mature trees of most species are fairly cold-hardy and can survive as low as 5°C for short periods of time, but younger plants will not survive. They are known to survive in Northern Pakistan where they can get down to 5°C or lower during the night. Guavas are also of interest to home growers in temperate areas, being one of the very few tropical fruits that can be grown to fruiting size in pots indoors.
Culinary uses and peel nutrients
Guava fruit, usually 4 to 12 cm long, is round or oval depending on species. Its outer skin may be rough often with a bitter taste, or soft and sweet. Across species, skin can be any thickness, is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon, or green when ripe. Guava pulp may be sweet and off-white or deep pink with midline seeds of variable number and hardness depending on species. Guava has a fragrance similar to lemon rind, but less sharp.
The fruit is also often prepared as a dessert. In Asia, fresh raw guava is often dipped in preserved prune powder or salt. Because of the skin's high level of pectin, boiled guava is also extensively used to make candies, preserves, jellies, jams, marmalades (goiabada), and also for juices and aguas frescas. In Asia, a tea is made from guava fruits and leaves. Guava juice is very popular in Mexico, Egypt and South Africa. Red guavas can be used as the base of salted products such as sauces, constituting a substitute for tomatoes, especially for those sensitive to the latter's acidity.
Guava wood is used for meat smoking in Hawaii and competition barbecue.
Psidium species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera, mainly moths like the Ello Sphinx (Erinnyis ello), Eupseudosoma aberrans, Snowy Eupseudosoma (E. involutum)and Hypercompe icasia. Mites like Pronematus pruni and Tydeus munsteri are known to parasitize Apple Guava (P. guabaya) and perhaps other species. The bacterium Erwinia psidii causes rot diseases of the Apple Guava.
The fruit are also relished by many mammals and birds. The spread of introduced guavas owes much to this fact, as animals will eat the fruit and disperse the seeds in their droppings.
Nutrients and dietary antioxidant value
Guavas are often considered superfruits, being rich in vitamins A and C, omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly in the seeds which must be chewed to obtain the omega fats) and especially high levels of dietary fiber. A single guava contains over four times the amount of vitamin C as a single orange (228 mg per 100 g serving), and also has good levels of the dietary minerals, potassium, magnesium, and an otherwise broad, low-calorie profile of essential nutrients.
However, nutritional value is greatly dependent on species, the strawberry guava notably containing only 37 mg of vitamin C per 100g serving, practically a tenth of the vitamin C found in more common varieties.[1] Vitamin C content in strawberry guava, however, is still a high percentage (62%) of the Dietary Reference Intake for this vitamin.[1]
Guavas contain both major classes of antioxidant pigments -- carotenoids and polyphenols, giving them relatively high dietary antioxidant value among plant foods.[2][3][4] As pigments provide plant food their colors, guavas that are red, yellow or orange in color have more potential value as antioxidants sources than unpigmented species.[5]
| Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 36-50 |
| Moisture | 77-86 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.8-5.5 g |
| Protein | 0.9-1.0 g |
| Fat | 0.1-0.5 g |
| Ash | 0.43-0.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9.5-10 g |
| Calcium | 9.1-17 mg |
| Phosphorus | 17.8-30 mg |
| Iron | 0.30-0.70 mg |
| Carotene (Vitamin A) | 200-400 I.U |
| Vitamin C (variable by species) | 37-400 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.046 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.03-0.04 mg |
| Niacin | 0.6-1.068 mg |
Nutrient data source: US Department of Agriculture from Healthaliciousness.com[1]
Medical research
Since the 1950s, guava, particularly its leaves, has been a subject for diverse research in chemical identity of its constituents, pharmacological properties and history in folk medicine.[6] For example, from preliminary medical research in laboratory models, extracts from guava leaves or bark are implicated in therapeutic mechanisms against cancer, bacterial infections, inflammation and pain.[7][8][9] Essential oils from guava leaves have shown strong anti-cancer activity in vitro.[10]
Folk medicine applications
Guava leaves are used as a remedy for diarrhea[11] and for their supposed antimicrobial properties. Guava leaves or bark have been used traditionally to treat diabetes.[12][13]
Etymology
The name appears to derive from Arawak via Spanish, guayaba. Names in other languages are
- Amrood or Jaam in Hindi, Urdu and Farsi
- Bayabas, probably a local rendition of guayaba in Tagalog
- Bihi in some central Indian dialects of Hindi
- Goiaba in Portuguese
- Goiyaa in Tamil
- Guave in French
- Jaama in Telugu
- Jaapulkai in Kannada
- Jambu in Indonesian
- Ổi in Vietnamese
- Peguulli in Oriya
- Pera in Malayalam
- Pera in Sinhalese
- Feyru in Dhivehi
- Pera in Swahili
- Peru or Jaamba in Marathi
- Peyara in Bengali
- Pha-rang in Thai
See also
- Leslie R. Landrum, guava botanist
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nutrient facts comparison for common guava, strawberry guava, and oranges
- ↑ Mahattanatawee K, Manthey JA, Luzio G, Talcott ST, Goodner K, Baldwin EA (Sep 2006). "Total antioxidant activity and fiber content of select Florida-grown tropical fruits". J Agric Food Chem. 54 (19): 7355–63. doi:. PMID 16968105.
- ↑ Hassimotto NM, Genovese MI, Lajolo FM (Apr 2005). "Antioxidant activity of dietary fruits, vegetables, and commercial frozen fruit pulps". J Agric Food Chem. 53 (8): 2928–35. doi:. PMID 15826041.
- ↑ Jiménez-Escrig A, Rincón M, Pulido R, Saura-Calixto F (Nov 2001). "Guava fruit (Psidium guajava L.) as a new source of antioxidant dietary fiber". J Agric Food Chem. 49 (11): 5489–93. doi:. PMID 11714349.
- ↑ Wrolstad R. The possible health benefits of anthocyanin pigments and polyphenolics, Linus Pauling Institute, 2001
- ↑ Gutiérrez RM, Mitchell S, Solis RV (Apr 2008). "Psidium guajava: a review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology". J Ethnopharmacol 117 (1): 1–27. doi:. PMID 18353572.
- ↑ Chen KC, Hsieh CL, Peng CC, et al (2007). "Brain derived metastatic prostate cancer DU-145 cells are effectively inhibited in vitro by guava (Psidium gujava L.) leaf extracts". Nutr Cancer 58 (1): 93–106. doi:10.1080/01635580701308240 (inactive 2008-11-12). PMID 17571972.
- ↑ Mahfuzul Hoque MD, Bari ML, Inatsu Y, Juneja VK, Kawamoto S (Winter 2007). "Antibacterial activity of guava (Psidium guajava L.) and Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) extracts against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria". Foodborne Pathog. Dis. 4 (4): 481–8. doi:. PMID 18041957.
- ↑ Ojewole JA (Sep 2006). "Antiinflammatory and analgesic effects of Psidium guajava Linn. (Myrtaceae) leaf aqueous extract in rats and mice". Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 28 (7): 441–6. doi:. PMID 17003849.
- ↑ Manosroi J, Dhumtanom P, Manosroi A (Apr 2006). "Anti-proliferative activity of essential oil extracted from Thai medicinal plants on KB and P388 cell lines". Cancer Lett. 235 (1): 114–20. doi:. PMID 15979235.
- ↑ Kaljee L, Thiem VD, von Seidlein L, et al (Jun 2004). "Healthcare use for diarrhoea and dysentery in actual and hypothetical cases, Nha Trang, Viet Nam". J Health Popul Nutr 22 (2): 139–49. PMID 15473517. http://www.icddrb.org:8080/images/jhpn222_healthcare-use.pdf.
- ↑ Mukhtar HM, Ansari SH, Bhat ZA, Naved T, Singh P (Aug 2006). "Antidiabetic activity of an ethanol extract obtained from the stem bark of Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae)". Pharmazie 61 (8): 725–7. PMID 16964719.
- ↑ Oh WK, Lee CH, Lee MS, et al (Jan 2005). "Antidiabetic effects of extracts from Psidium guajava". J Ethnopharmacol 96 (3): 411–5. doi:. PMID 15619559.