Department of Health Approved Herbal Plant: Guava

\ (Psidium guajava) Classification: Kingdom : PlantaeOrder : MyrtalesFamily : MyrtaceaeSubfamily : MyrtoideaeGenus : Psidium

English name: GuavaVernacular names in the Philippines: Bayabas, Bayawas, Biabas, Gaiyabat, Geyabas, Guayabas, Kalimbahin, TayabasDescription: A large shrub or small tree up to 10 m high with slender stems about 30 cm in diameter. The bark is thin, smooth, brownish and often flaky with white patches. Leaves opposite, oblong, slightly oval shaped, 515 cm in length, light green on the upper surface, and downy and pale green on the underside which display prominent veins on the underside of the leaf. The flowers are white, occur either singly or a few in a cluster in axils of the leaves, about 2.5 cm in diameter, with numerous stamens arranged in groups. The fruits which are classified as berries are globose (rounded), ovoid (egg-shaped), pyriform (pear-shaped), green to yellow, usually 2.510 cm long and 2.55 cm in diameter with pale pink mesocarp. The seeds are yellow and kidney-shaped.Chemical substances: Guava is rich in tannins, phenols, triterpenes, flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, carotenoids, lectins, vitamins, fiber and fatty acids. The guava fruit has 80 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, about four times of that of orange, and 0.046 mg of vitamin A per 100 g of fruit. Guava fruits are also a good source of pectin which is a dietary fiber.Medicinal uses and preparations:Whole plant: The whole plant or it shoots are used in the form of infusion, decoction and paste as skin tonic in Tahiti and Samoa and as analgesia in painful menstruation, miscarriages, uterine bleeding, premature labor and wounds. Bark: The bark in the form of decoction and poultice is used as an astringent in the treatment of ulcers wounds and diarrhea in the country it has been tested to have strong anti-bacterial property against Vibrio cholera. In Panama, Bolivia and Venezuela, the bark is used in treatment of dysentery and skin ailments. In the form of decoction and poultice, it is used to expel the placenta after childbirth and in infections of the skin, vaginal hemorrhage wounds, fever, dehydration and respiratory disturbances. The bark extracts are also used in treating and preventing malaria.

Leaves: Fresh leaves are crushed and the extracts are applied to wounds, boils, and skin and soft tissue infectious sites. Leaf decoction were used as antipyretic, antispasmodic, anti rheumatism in India; in America it can be used in treating wounds, ulcers and tooth ache. Tea preparations were also used as treatment for asthma, bronchitis, cough, and other pulmonary diseases. Other uses of guava leaves are oral treatment of acute diarrhea, gingivitis and rotaviral enteritis, abdominal pain,cough, gastritis, headache, ringworm, vaginitis, parasitic worm infection. Root: The root is used in West Africa as a decoction to relieve diarrhea, coughs, stomach ache, dysentery, toothaches, indigestion and constipation; while in Philippines, Fiji and South Africa, the roots are used in the form of decoction and poultice as an astringent in ulcers wounds and in treatment of diarrhea.Flowers: Flowers are used as poultice in treating conjunctivitis. It can also be used in treating bronchitis and has a cooling effect in the body.Fruits: Guava fruit juice can be used in treating infantile diarrhea. Fresh guava fruits are rich in vitamin A and vitamin C; it can also be a good source of fiber.

Precautions: Consuming too much guava fruit can cause constipation.

References: Joseph, B. Priya, M. (2011). Review on nutritional, medicinal, and pharmacological properties of guava (Psidium guajava Linn.). International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences. Vol 2. Issue 1.

Shruthi, S. D., Roshan, A., Sanjay, S. T., and Sunita, S. (2013). A review on the medicinal plant (Psidium guajava Linn.). Journal of Drug Therapy and Therapeutics. Volume 3.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2009). WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants. Volume 4. World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. pp. 128-135.