Pharmacognosy - medicinal plants (herbs)

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Herbs - Medicinal Plants

Guava

Guava. Characteristics and Properties of guava tree: Scientific name, other names, botanical family, identification, origin. Content and active ingredients of the guava leaves and fruit. Guava benefits.

Characteristics and Properties of Guava

Guava
Guava fruit

Scientific name: Psidium guajava L.

Botanical family: Myrtaceae / Other names: Guava, Guava Maroon, Guava of Peru


The guava is a shrub or small tree up to 7 m high, sparsely branched. It has aromatic leaves, opposite, entire, 4-8 cm long, with prominent veins on the underside, resembling ribs. White attractive flowers, grouping from 1 to 3; numerous stamens arranged on a width disk. The guava fruit is fleshy, variable in shape and size depending on the variety.


Guava is native to tropical America. Cultivated and naturalized in the Old World tropics in rural and urban areas.

Content and active ingredients

guava properties

It is known the presence of gallic acid, ellagic acid, catechin, epicatechin, rutin and quercetin.


Pentacyclic triterpene, guajanoico acid and B-sitosterol, uvaol, olenólico acid and ursolic acid.


Guava leaves contain an essential oil rich in caryophyllene, nerolidiol, beta bisabolene, aromandreno, p-selinene. Also contain flavonoids, beta sitosterol, titerpenoides, leucocyanidins and about 10% of tannins.

Guava benefits - Medicinal properties

The high presence of tannins give to Guava antidiarrheal properties, also have demonstrated pharmacological activity as antibacterial, antioxidant, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anti-anemic, hemostatic and sedative.

 

It is indicated in cases of dyspepsia, edema, swelling, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, nervousness, HIV, skin conditions.

 

Guava is a fruit prized for their nutritional value and high in various vitamins. It antiscorbutic because they are high in vitamin C. In naturally has many nutritional and preventative properties in diseases like anemia.


The fundamental action of guava leaves is as antidiarrheal and which preparation is carried out as follows:
Decoction: boil for 3 minutes 10 to 20 g of fresh leaves in a quart of water. Ingest 120 mL, 6 times a day. The preparation of the decoction should be daily.
Antibiotic properties are attributed to the decoction or infusion of guava leaves.

 

>> continue reading about the Uses of Guava...


REMEMBER to always consult your doctor before combining natural products with any other treatment.

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bibliographic references

  • FAO. Especies frutales forestales. Roma: Estudios FAO-Montes No. 34, 1982:150. 
  • Cuba, Ministerio de la Agricultura. Instructivo técnico del cultivo de la guayaba. La Habana: Dirección de Cítricos y otros Frutales, 1985:47. 
  • Duraffourd C, Hervicourt LD y Lapraz JC. Cuadernos de fitoterapia clínica. Barcelona: Ed. Masson, 1986:86. 
  • Nicaragua, Ministerio de Salud. Sobre las plantas medicinales más frecuentemente usadas en la Región I "Las Segovias". Managua. Primer Encuentro de Centroamérica, Panamá y Belice para el rescate de la medicina popular, 1987. 
  • Roig JT. Plantas medicinales, aromáticas o venenosas de Cuba. La Habana: Ed. Científico Técnica, 1988:1125. 
  • Robineau L. Hacia una farmacopea caribeña. Sto. Domingo: Enda-Caribe/UNAH, 1991:475. 
  • Chen, K:C.; Hsieh, C.L.; Huang, K.D.; Ker, Y.B.; Chyau, C.C.; Peng, R.Y. Anticancer activity of rhamnoallosan against DU-145 cells is kinetically complementary to coexisting polyphenolics in Psidium guayava  budding leaves. J Agric Food Chem.; 2009 jul 22; 57(14):6114-22.
  • Gutiérrez, Y.; Miranda, M.; Bilbao, O.; De la Paz, J. y Rodríguez, L.E. Suspensión oral antidiarreica de Psidium guajaba, L. Rev Cubana Farm v.34.1 Ciudad de la Habana ene-abr. 2000.
  • Ojewole, J.A. Antiinflammatory and analgesic effects of Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) leaf aqueous extract in rats and mice. Methodos Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2006 Sep; 28(7):441-6.
  • Begum, S.; Hassan, S.I.; Ali, S.N; Siddiqui; B.S. Chemical constituents from the leaves of  Psidium guajava. Nat Prod Res. 2004;18(2):135-40.
  • Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. Studies on chemical constituents of leaves of Psidium guajava. 2009 Mar; 34(5):577-9.
  • Quintero. Estudio farmacognóstico de Psidium guajava L. Universidad de la Habana. IFAL 1990.

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Guava. Characteristics and Properties of guava tree: Scientific name, other names, botanical family, identification, origin. Content and active ingredients of the guava leaves and fruit. Guava benefits.