CHATI

Whilst at CHATI, I tasted guava fruit for the first time. This was a special occasion as not only was it my first experience of tasting guava, it was also the first fruit produced by one of the juvenille trees on CHATI land.

The fruit has a sweet taste and the jucie is delicious

The guava fruit belongs to the Myrtaceae family and its botanical name is Psidium guajava. In Tamil the fruit is called Guaya.The tree is easily identifiable by its distinctive thin, smooth copper coloured bark that flakes off easily. Cultivated types average up to 10 m in height.

The tree has many medicinal uses: the leaves are chewed to reduce tooth pain, an extract from the leaves is taken internally to help control vomiting and diarrhea.

PLANT CHEMICALS

Guava is rich in tannins, phenols, triterpenes, flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, carotenoids, lectins, vitamins, fiber and fatty acids. Guava fruit is higher in vitamin C than citrus (80 mg of vitamin C in 100 g of fruit) and contains appreciable amounts of vitamin A as well. Guava fruits are also a good source of pectin - a dietary fiber. The leaves of guava are rich in flavonoids, in particular, quercetin. Much of guava's therapeutic activity is attributed to these flavonoids. The flavonoids have demonstrated antibacterial activity. Quercetin is thought to contribute to the anti-diarrhea effect of guava; it is able to relax intestinal smooth muscle and inhibit bowel contractions. In addition, other flavonoids and triterpenes in guava leaves show antispasmodic activity. Guava also has antioxidant properties which is attributed to the polyphenols found in the leaves.

Source Tropical Plant database