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Botany
Somewhat hairy
young branches are 4-angled with opposite leaves. Flowers with
in-curved petals, cottony white, coming out in two's or three's
in the leaf axils. Numerous stamens form the attractive part
of the flower. Inferior ovaries develop into roundish green fruits
that turn yellow on ripening and have edible, aromatic, seedy
pulp.
Distribution
Widely distributed in the Philippines. Common in backyards. Well-known
because of its edible fruit. Propagation
by seeds, budding, grafting, and marcotting. Root cuttings have
been tried with success.
Parts
utilized
Leaves
Chemical constituents
and properties
Fixed oil, 6%; volatile (essential) oil, 0.365%; eugenol; tannin 8-15%;
saponins; amydalin; phenolic acids; malic acid; ash, aldehydes.
Contains catequinic components and flavonoids.
Major constituents of leaves are tannins, ß-sitosterol, maslinic
acid, essential oils, triterpenoids and flavonoids.
Andiarrheal, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antioxidant hepatoprotective,
anti-allergy, antimicrobial, antigenotoxic, antiplasmodial, cardioactive,
anticough, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, antinociceptive.
Uses
Nutrition
Very high in vitamin C (80 mg in 100 gm of fruit) with large amounts
of vitamin A. Fruit can be eaten raw or canned, jellied, juiced or powdered.
Folkloric
Astringent, antispasmodic, anthelminthic and antiseptic properties.
Leaves used for wounds and toothache must always be fresh.
Decoction or infusion of fresh leaves used for wound cleaning to prevent
infection and to facilitate healing.
Warm decoction of leaves for aromatic baths.
For diarrhea, boil for 15 minutes 4 to
6 tablespoons of chopped leaves in 18 ounces of water. Strain and cool.
Drink 1/4 of the decoction every 3 - 4 hours.
For toothache, cew 2-3 young leaves and
put into the tooth cavity;
For gum swelling, chew leaves or use the
leaf decoction as mouthwash 3 times daily; chewed leaves.
For skin ulcers, pruritic or infected wounds:
Apply decoction of leaves or unripe fruit as wash or the leaf poultice
on the wound or use the decoction for wound cleansing. It is also popularly
used for the wound healing of circumcision wounds.
Nosebleeds: Densely roll the bayabas leaves and place into the nostril
cavity.
Vaginal wash: Because of antiseptic properties, warm decoction of leaves
as vaginal wash (after childbirth) or douche.
Cosmetic
Leaf extract used in skin whitening products.
Dental
Toothbrush au-natural: Bayabas twigs,
chewed at the ends until frayed, used as alternative for toothbrushing
with whitening effect.
Others
Wood is suitalbe for carpentry, turnery,
fuel or charcoal.
A favorite rural use for tool handles.
Studies
• Assessment of two medicinal plants, Psidium
guajava L. and Achillea millefolium L., in in vitro and in vivo assays:
Study on the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of the plants provide info
on its safety for use as therapeutic agents.
• Antihypertensive / Antidiarrheal: In the study, P guajava leaf extracts was more active than D mespiliformis in their antagonistic effects on caffeine-induced calcium release from the sarcoplasmic retidculum of rat skeletal muscle. Results might explain their use as antihypertensive and antidiarrheal
agents in traditional medicine through an inhibition of intracellular
calcium release.
• Anticestodal: Anticestodal efficacy of Psidium guajava
against experimental Hymenolepis diminuta infection in rats : The study showed anticestodal efficacy and supports folkloric medicinal
use in the treatment of intestinal-worm infections in northeast India.
• Hypoglycaemic / Hypotensive: The leaf of Psidium guajava is used extensively in African
folk medicine. The study shows that the aqueous leaf extract of P. guajava
possesses hypoglycemic and hypotensive properties and provides pharmaco
credence to the folkloric use of the plant for type-2 diabetes and hypertension
in some rural African communities.
• Microbicidal: (1) Microbicidal
effect of medicinal plant extracts (Psidium guajava Linn. and Carica
papaya Linn.) upon bacteria isolated from fish muscle and known to induce
diarrhea in children: Study concludes that guava sprout extracts is
a feasible treatment option for diarrhea caused by E coli or S aureus-produced
toxins, with quick curative effect, easy availability and low cost.
(2) Aequeous extracts of leaves have shown antimicrobial activity against
Shigella spp., Vibrio spp., S aureus, B-strep, E coli, P aeruginosa
and B subtilis.
• Guava Extracts and Radiolabelling:
Study showed aqueous PG extract could present antioxidant action and
affect membrane structures in ion transport altering radiolabelling
of blood constituents with Technitium (Tc99m) and precautions applied
to nuclear medicine procedures on patients using guava extracts.
• Antidiabetic:
Study of extract of leaves of PG showed to possess antidiabetic effect
in type 2 diabetic mice model, the effect in part, mediated via the
inhibition of PTP1B (protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B).
• Phytochemical / Trypanocidal:
Study showed that PG leaf extract possessed trypanocidal properties
attributed to broad antimicrobial and iron chelating activity of flavonoids
and tannins. Iron chelation was suggested as a effective way of killing
trypanosomes.
• Antitumor:
Study showed P guajava extracts to be efficacious in preventing tumor
development by depressing Tr cells (regulatory).
• Antioxidant:
Study of methanolic extract of PG leaves showed in vitro free radical
scavenging activity.
•
Antiproliferative / Anticancer: A
study on the antiproliferative activity of essential oil from 17 thai
medicinal plants on human mouth epidermal carcioma (KB) and murine leukemia
(P388) cell lines. In the KB cell line, Psidium guajava leaf oil showed
the highest anti-proliferative activity, more than 4x more potent than
vincristine. The results suggested the potential of Thai medicinal plants
for cancer treatment.
•
Antidiarrheal / Microbicidal: (1) A
study concludes that guava sprout extracts is a feasible treatment option for diarrhea caused by E coli or S aureus-produced toxins, with quick curative action, easy accessibility and low cost. (2) A morphine-like spasmolytic action involving the inhibition of acetylcholine release and the transmural transport of electrolytes and water has been reported as possible modes of antidiarrheal action of P guajava leaf extracts. The extract also inhibited the growth of causative agents for enteric fecver, food poisoning, dysentery and cholera.
•
Antispasmodic: In a
study of acute diarrheic disease, a phytodrug developed from guava leaves, standardized with its quercetin content, exhibited a decrease in the duration of abdominal pain.
•
Antioxidant / Hypocholeterolemic: A study done to determine the effects of guava consumption on antioxidant status and lipid profile in normal male youth showed a significant increase in level of total antioxidants and reduced oxidative stress and also increase the level of HDL cholesterol significantly.
•
Anti-Ulcer: Study showed rats pretreated with P guajava extract from fresh tender leaves showed antiulcer activity in aspirin-induced gastric ulcer model with a significant reduction of ulcer index, pepsin activity, free and total acidity, volume and mucus content of gastric juice.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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