Rich medicinal qualities of poor man’s apple- Psidium guajava L.

Abstract

Psidium guajava L. is eugolized as ‘Apple of Tropics’ due to its high nutritive value and diversified uses. The medicinal properties of guava fruit, leaf and other parts of the plant are also well known in traditional system of medicine. Guava is also a rich source of antioxidants and thus can help to prevent degenerative diseases. Different parts of guava have been traditionally used in the folk medicine of several civilization. The extracts from guava leaves exhibited good antioxidant activity as well as free radical-scavenging capacity. It contains important phytoconstituents such as tannins, triterpenes, quercetin, guajanoic acid, saponins, carotenoids, lectins, leucocyanidin, ellagic acid, beta-sitosterol, uvaol, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. Psidium guajava possess enormous medicinally important activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory antiplasmodial, antispasmodic, cardioactive, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities, supporting its traditional uses.