Review Article
Psidium Fruits: Endemic Fruits of Latin America with a Wide Variety of Phytochemicals
Carolina Rojas-Garbanzo*
Department of Food Science, University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica
*Corresponding author: Carolina Rojas-Garbanzo, Department of Food Science, University of Costa Rica, Postal address 11501-2060 San José, Costa Rica
Published: 10 Jun, 2018
Cite this article as: Rojas-Garbanzo C. Psidium Fruits:
Endemic Fruits of Latin America with a
Wide Variety of Phytochemicals. Clin
Oncol. 2018; 3: 1479.
Abstract
Main causes of death globally are stroke, ischemic heart and respiratory diseases, no making
distinction among regions of the world, nor income economies. The incidence of these diseases may
be reduced by consumption of fruits and vegetables. These foods play an important role in human
nutrition attributed to the action of phytochemicals such as polyphenols and carotenoids contained
in the fruits and vegetables. Among fruits, those of the genus Psidium have gained attention due to
their use as a traditional medicine and many polyphenols and chemicals have been reported. The
main edible Psidium fruits are the pink guava, Costa Rican guava, strawberry guava, and Brazilian
guava, which are cultivated in Latin America but also in India and Pakistan. Main carotenoids
present in these fruits are all-trans-lycopene, all-trans-β-carotene, and all-trans-β-crytoxanthin,
the two latter with provitamin A activity. These fruits contain mainly polyphenols such as
proanthocyanidins, monomeric flavanols, and ellagitannins, for which many bioactivities have
been reported. This report summarizes the main phytochemicals present in the four edible Psidium
fruits and describes some bioactivities attributed to these compounds. The compiled information
highlights the importance of considering Psidium fruits as good sources of phytochemicals and
their consideration for further development of functional fruits.
Keywords: Psidium; Costa Rican guava; Pink guava; Strawberry guava; Brazilian Guava; Phytochemicals
Introduction
Main edible Psidium fruits and their main phytochemicals
For 2015, stroke, ischemic heart and respiratory diseases were the main causes of death globally,
no making distinction among regions of the world, nor income economies [1]. It is well known
that consumption of fruits and vegetables play an important role in human nutrition preventing
the development of such diseases. Individuals eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables
daily have approximately half the risk of suffering from some diseases [2]. Therefore, consumption
of fruits and vegetables is no longer just a matter of taste; it is nowadays also a matter of health.
These benefits on health are attributed to the action of secondary metabolites found in fruits and
vegetables such as such as polyphenols and carotenoids. These micronutrients are associated with
positive health effects in the prevention of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases, and different
types of cancer [2].
Among fruits, tropical and subtropical fruits such as Psidium fruits, have gained popularity due
to their attractive sensory properties but also due to their putative health benefits. They are very
important fruit crops in countries such as Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Thailand, China, and
India [3], and have been used as a traditional medicine in Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Taiwan,
Japan, China, and Korea [4-6]. These plants have been used for the treatment of diabetes, caries,
wounds, diarrhea, inflammation, and hypertension. Besides, antispasmodic, hepatoprotective,
anti-cancer, and antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-allergy, antigenotoxic, cardioprotective, and anticough,
among others, are some activities reported for leaves and fruits of these plants [5,7].
The genus Psidium is native to Central America and nowadays it is grown throughout the
tropical and subtropical regions [8-10]. Psidium belongs to the Myrtaceae family and comprises
more than 150 species. The most widely cultivated edible fruits in Latin America include the pink
guava (P. guajava L.), the Costa Rican guava (P. friedrichsthalianum Nied.), the strawberry guava
(P. cattleianum Sabine), and the Brazilian guava (P. guineense Sw.) [10]. The fruits of these plants
are suitable for fresh consumption and some typical preparations are juice, ice cream, and jellies.
Their processing has gained attention due to their high nutritional value, availability at a moderate
price, and a pleasant aroma [11]. In 2014, India was considered the
largest guava producer worldwide, followed by China and Thailand.
They export guava concentrate which is used in the production of
beverages in industries of North America and Europe [12].
Despite the many health benefits attributed to these plants, just
a few reports have described the biological activities of the fruits
together with their phytochemical composition; and those that have
been centered about evaluation of leaves. Nevertheless, it is clear
that Psidium fruits are a potential source of phytochemicals for
which many bioactivities have been proved. Therefore, it would be
also considerable to introduce nutritionally valuable fruits and their
products not only in the region of origin, but also in other countries
in order to increase the consumption of putative health promoting
compounds.
Bioactivities reported for phytochemicals of Psidium
fruits and nutritional health perspectives
Among phytochemicals, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and
triterpenoids are the main phytochemicals characterized in leaves
and fruits [13-21]. In the case of ripe pink guava, all-trans-lycopene is
the main carotenoid followed by all-trans-β-carotene [17,22]. Based
on the limit set by Britton & Khachik [23], i.e., > 2 mg/100 g fw, pink
guava has been recognized as a very good source of all-trans-lycopene
and as good source of all-trans-β-carotene, the latter also with
provitamin A activity [24]. Strawberry guava has been also recognized
as a source all-trans-β-carotene and all-trans-β-crytoxanthin [18].
The provitamin A value in 100 g of ripe pink guava and in
strawberry guava corresponds to 7.5% and 3.2%, respectively, of the
Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin A, which is 5000 IU
[22,25]. This fact has been given particular attention because vitamin
A deficiency today is a worldwide public health issue in more than
half of the countries. Between 250 000 and 500 000 children having
vitamin A deficiency develop blindness every year [25].
Regarding bioactivities attributed to carotenoids, recently an in
vitro study demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity of a lycopene
rich extract as well as the purified lycopene from pink guava that
shows protective anti-oxidative stress activity by down regulating
inflammatory mediators and inhibiting the gene expression involved
in inflammation [27]. In general, lycopene has been shown to be
twice as effective as β-carotene in protecting lymphocytes from NO2
radical cell death and membrane damage [28] Fonseca et al. [29]
demonstrated the positive effect of all-trans-lycopene and all-trans-
β-carotene by decreasing the number of viable breast cancer cell
in vitro. These carotenoids also promoted cell cycle arrest followed
by decreased cell viability in the majority of cell lines; an increase
in apoptosis was also observed. It has been reported that all-translycopene
is a more potent scavenger of oxygen radicals than other
dietary carotenoids [30].
Pink guava is also a source of proanthocyanidins and monomeric
flavanols; representing more than 50% and 30%, of the quantified
polyphenols, respectively [10]. Among 60 polar phenolic compounds,
a B-type proanthocyanidin, i.e., (epi) catechin-(epi) catechin, was the
main compound. Other phytochemicals reported for pink guava
are guavin B, (epi) catequin, (epi) gallocatechin, and quercetin
derivatives.
These compounds are also present in Costa Rican guava, but
proanthocyanidins, i.e., B-type, and ellagitannins represent more
than 50% and 20% of the quantified polyphenols, respectively. Main
ellagitannins present in Costa Rican guava are geraniin, vescalagin,
and castalagin [26]. Whereas, in Brazilian guava the main polar
compounds are the ellagitannins hexahydroxy-phenyl-glucose
(HHPP-glucose) and di-HHP-glucose [15], and in strawberry guava,
ellagic acid, ellagic acid deoxyhexoside, and the flavanol epicathequin
gallate are the predominant polyphenols [18].
Regarding to the bioactivity of polyphenols, the fruits have
excessively been evaluated in in vitro and in vivo studies [2,7-
8,13,31,32-34], it seems worthwhile to examine the bioactivity of
the polyphenolic compounds from Psidium fruits. A cinnamic acid
derivative, presumably cinnamoyl-O-glucopyranoside is reported
in Psidium fruits. In vivo studies with cashew apple extract in rats
confirmed the hypoglycemic activity of this compound. Decreased
levels of glucose, promotion of growth of lactobacilli in fecal material,
and an increase in catalase activity in liver were observed when a
cashew apple beverage was consumed [35]. The authors attributed
the positive effects to the presence of cinnamoyl-O-glucopyranoside.
The thermal stability of this compound is of special attention due to
the antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella
typhimurium, and Bacillus cereus [36].
Some bioactivities reported for guavin B are inhibition of lipid
peroxidation, mutagenicity of carcinogens and tumor promotion,
and host-mediated antitumor. In addition, antiviral and antibacterial
properties have been attributed to guavin B [37]. Another ellagitannin
reported in Psidium species is myrciaphenone B. When this compound
was extracted from P. guajava leaves and used in in vitro studies, a
potent inhibitory activity on aldose reductase and α-glucosidase was
reported; that is, this compound inhibits the increase of serum glucose
levels in glucose loaded rats and in alloxan-induced diabetic mice [38].
In vitro studies have demonstrated an inhibitory effect of geraniin on
the bone absorption ability of osteoclasts [39]. Also, activity against
methylglyoxal-induced inflammation and carbohydrate metabolic
disorders were confirmed for vescalagin when in vitro studies were
performed [4].
Some flavanols and derivatives are present in Psidium fruits, e.g.,
(epi) catechin and (epi) gallocatechin. These flavanols were found
to be effective in reducing cholesterol absorption and in decreasing
lymphatic absorption of triacylglycerols by reducing their solubility
[40]. Moreover, the intake of (epi) catechin is inversely associated
with the risk of coronary heart disease. It has been reported that
consumption of cocoa products containing (epi) catechin are
related to a reduction of the blood pressure in humans [41,42].
Also, some positive effects are related to the B-type dimer of (epi)
catechin. This compound has been related to a decreased formation
of advanced glycation end products in plasma that is, preventing
glycation of proteins present in blood. As a result, some disease such
as retinopathy, cataract, neuropathy, atherosclerosis, nephropathy,
embryopathy, and delayed healing of wounds can be prevented in
diabetic patients.
Abscisic acid, also detected in P. guajava and P. friedrichsthalianum,
is a hormone key related to the development and growth of plants
and has been inversely correlated with the accumulation of plastids
and content of lycopene. In vivo studies demonstrated that intake
of abscisic acid decreased fasting blood glucose concentrations,
ameliorated glucose tolerance, and increased mRNA expression of
PPARG and its responsive genes, i.e., adiponectin, aP2, and CD36, in
white adipose tissue. Adipocyte hypertrophy, tumor necrosis factor-α
expression, and macrophage infiltration in white adipose tissue was
attenuated in abscisic acid-fed mice.
Although most of the bioactivities mentioned above were
reported for the compounds obtained from other food sources,
it can be suggested that consumption of Psidium fruits may help
preventing such human health diseases. Nevertheless, in vitro, in vivo,
and ex vivo analyses are recommended in order to prove the positive
effect on human health when these fruits are consumed. Based on
the phytochemicals profile reported for these fruits, they may be
recognized as sources of Phytochemicals, which could be used further
in the development of functional foods.
Conclusion
In the last years great progress has been made in the discovery of
functional foods and potential pharmacological agents from natural
sources. Many chemical and biological studies have been focused on
the identification of sources of phytochemicals, elucidation of the
parameters associated to their bioaccessibility and bioavailability,
as well as on deciphering their mechanisms of action once they are
absorb in the body. Most of the research has been performed with
fruits from the temperate regions, studies focusing on tropical
fruits are still scare. However, some attempts have been made and
some phytochemicals, e.g., carotenoids and polyphenols, have been
reported, also bioactivities such as antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, and
antioxidant have been proved.
One of the goals of identifying fruits with high content of
phytochemicals is to increase the offer of phytochemical-rich fruits
and fruit products. Among tropical fruits, those of the genus Psidium
have received more attention over the past 10 years and a variety of
potential beneficial effects have been reported. Psidium fruits are a
source of many phytochemicals for which positive health effects
have been proved in vivo or in vitro. The compiled information in
this report highlights the potential of pink guava, Costa Rican guava,
strawberry guava, and Brazilian guava as good source of flavonoids,
specially proanthocyanidins and ellagitannins. The fruits may be used
further in the development of functional fruits or even nutraceuticals.
References
- Dembitsky VM, Poovarodom S, Leontowicz H, Leontowicz M, Vearasilp S, Trakhtenberg S, et al. The multiple nutrition properties of some exotic fruits: biological activity and active metabolites. Food Res Int. 2011;44(7):1671-70.
- Mani A, Rachana M, Thomas G. Elucidation of diversity among Psidium species using morphological and SPAR methods. J Phytol. 2011;3(8):53-61.
- Chang CH, Hsieh CL, Wang HE, Peng CC, Chyau CC, Peng RY. Unique bioactive polyphenolic profile of guava (Psidium guajava) budding leaf tea is related to plant biochemistry of budding leaves in early dawn. J Sci Food Agric. 2013;93(4):944-54.
- Díaz-de-Cerio E, Verardo V, Gómez-Caravaca AM, Fernández-Gutiérrez A, Segura-Carretero A. Determination of polar compounds in guava leaves infusions and ultrasound aqueous extract by HPLC-ESI-MS. J Chem. 2015;2015:1-9.
- Matsuzaki K, Ishii R, Kobiyama K, Kitanaka S. New benzophenone and quercetin galloyl glycosides from Psidium guajava L. J Nat Med. 2010;64(3):252-6.
- Flores G, Wu SB, Negrin A, Kennelly EJ. Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of seven cultivars of guava (Psidium guajava) fruits. Food Chem. 2015;170:327-35.
- Cuadrado-Silva CT, Pozo-Bayón MA, Osorio C. Targeted metabolomic analysis of polyphenols with antioxidant activity is sour guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Nied.) Fruit Molec. 2016;22(1):11-20.
- Flores G, Dastmalchi K, Wu SB, Whalen K, Dabo AJ, Reynertson KA, et al. Phenolic-rich extract from the Costa Rican guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum) pulp with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Potential for COPD therapy. Food Chem. 2013;141(2):889-95.
- Rojas-Garbanzo C, Zimmermann BF, Schulze-Kaysers N, Schieber A. Characterization of phenolic and other polar compounds in the peel and flesh of pink guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. “Criolla”) by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and mass spectrometric detection. Food Res Int. 2017;100(3):445-53.
- Mitra S, Irenaeus T, Gurung M, Pathak P. Taxonomy and importance of Myrtaceae. Acta Horticult. 2012:959:2.
- Borges LL, Cardoso Conceição E, Silveira D. Active compounds and medicinal properties of Myrciaria genus. Food Chem. 2014;153:224-33.
- Fracassetti D, Costa C, Moulay L, Tomas-Barberan FA. Ellagic acid derivatives, ellagitannins, proanthocyanidins and other phenolics, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity of two powder products from camu-camu fruit (Myrciaria dubia). Food Chem. 2013;139(1-4):578-88.
- Gordon A, Jungfer E, da Silva BA, Maia JGS, Marx F. Phenolic constituents and antioxidant capacity of four underutilized fruits from the Amazon region. J Agric Food Chem. 2011;59(14):7688-99.
- Mercadante A, Steck A, Pfander H. Carotenoids from guava (Psidium guajava L.): isolation and structure elucidation. J Agric Food Chem. 1999;47(1):145-51.
- Padula M, Rodríguez-Amaya DB. Characterization of the carotenoids and assessment of the vitamin A value of Brazilian guavas (Psidium guajava L.). Food Chem. 1986;20(1):11-9.
- Ribeiro AB, Chiste RC, Freitas M, da Silva AF, Visentainer JV, Fernandes E. Psidium cattleianum fruit extracts are efficient in vitro scavengers of physiologically relevant reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Food Chem. 2014;165:140-8.
- Santos SA, Vilela C, Freire CS, Neto CP, Silvestre AJ. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry applied to the identification of valuable phenolic compounds from Eucalyptus wood. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2013;938:65-74.
- Setiawan B, Sulaeman A, Giraud DW, Driskell JA. Carotenoid content of selected Indonesian fruits. J Food Comp Anal. 2001;14(2):169-76.
- Wilberg VC, Rodríguez-Amaya DB. HPLC quantitation of major carotenoids of fresh and processed guava, mango and papaya. Food Sci Tech. 1995;28(5):474-80.
- Rojas-Garbanzo C, Gleichenhagen M, Heller A, Esquivel P, SchulzeKaysers N, Schieber A. Carotenoid profile, antioxidant capacity, and chromoplasts of pink guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. ‘criolla’) during fruit ripening. J Agric Food Chem. 2017;65(18):3737-47.
- Britton G, Khachik F. Carotenoids in food. 2009;5:45-66.
- Rodríguez-Amaya D. Assessment of the provitamin A contents of foods - The Brazilian experience. J Food Comp Anal. 1996;9(3):196-230.
- Rojas-Garbanzo C. Morphological and chemical characteristics of fruits of the genus Psidium with special reference to bioactive compounds. Cuvillier Verlag Göttingen. 2017.
- Vasconcelos AG, Amorim A das GN, dos Santos RC, Souza JMT, de Souza LKM, Araújo T de SL, et al. Lycopene rich extract from red guava (Psidium guajava L.) displays anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profile by reducing suggestive hallmarks of acute inflammatory response in mice. Food Res Int. 2017;99(2):959-68.
- Tinkler JH, Böhm F, Schalch W, Truscott TG. Dietary carotenoids protect human cells from damage. J Phytochem Photobiol. 1994;26(3):283-5.
- Fonseca Gloria N, Soares N, Brand C, Oliveira FL, Borojevic R, Junger Teodoro A. Lycopene and beta-carotene induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines. AntiCancer Res. 2014;34(3):1377-86.
- Miller NJ, Sampson J, Candeias LP, Bramley PM, Rice-Evans CA. Antioxidant activites od carotenes and xanthophylls. FEBS Letters. 1996;384(3):240-2.
- Cheng FC, Shen SC, Wu JS. Effect of guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaf extract on glucose uptake in rat hepatocytes. J Food Sci. 2009;74(5):H132-8.
- Bender C, Graziano S, Zimmermann BF. Study of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni antioxidant activities and cellular properties. Int J Food Sci Nut. 2015;66(5):553-8.
- Manach C, Scalbert A, Morond C, Rémésy C, Jiménez L. Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability. Am J Clin Nut. 2004;79(5):727-7.
- Eidenberger T, Selg M, Krennhuber K. Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase activity by flavonol glycosides of guava (Psidium guajava L.): A key to the beneficial effects of guava in type II diabetes mellitus. Fitoterapia. 2013;89:74-9.
- Dionísio AP, de Carvalho-Silva LB, Vieira NM, de Souza Goes T, Wurlitzer NJ, Borges MF, et al. Cashew-apple (Annacardium occidentale L.) and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) functional beverage improve the diabetic state in rats. Food Res Int. 2015;77(2):171-6.
- Miranda-Cruz E, Espinosa-Moreno J, Centurión-Hidalgo D, VelázquezMartínez JR, Alor-Chávez M. Actividad antimicrobiana de extractos de Psidium friedrichsthalianum L., Pterocarpus hayesii L., Tynanthus guatemalensis L. Y Spondias Purpuerea L. Boletín Latin Caribe Plan Med Arom. 2012;11(4):354-61.
- Okuda T. Systematics and health effects of chemically distinct tannins in medicinal plants. Phytochemistry. 2005;66(17):2012-31.
- Yoshikawa M, Shimada H, Nishida N, Li Y, Togushida I, Yamahara J, et al. Antidiabetic principles of natural medicines. II. Aldose reductase and α-glucosidase inhibitors from Brazilian natural medicines, the leaves of Myrcia multiflora DC. (Myrtaceae): structures of myrciacitrins I and II and myrciaphenones A and B. Chem Pharm Bull. 1998;46(1):113-9.
- He B, Hu M, Li SD, Yang XT, Lu YQ, Liu JX, et al. Effects of geraniin on osteoclastic bone resorption and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression. Bioorg & Med Chem Lett. 2013;23(3):630-4.
- Ikeda I, Imasato Y, Sasaki E, Nakayama M, Nagao H, Takeo T, et al. Tea catechins decrease micellar solubility and intestinal absorption of cholesterol in rats. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1992;1127(2):141-6.
- Ellinger S, Reusch A, Stehle P, Helfrich HP. Epicatechin ingested via cocoa products reduces blood pressure in humans: a nonlinear regression model with a Bayesian approach. Am J Clin Nut. 2012;95(6):1365-77.
- Ferri C, Desideri G, Ferri L, Proietti I, Di Agostino S, Martella L, et al. Cocoa, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health. J Agric Food Chem. 2015;63(45):9901-9.
- Chinchansure AA, Korwar AM, Kulkarni MJ, Joshi SP. Recent development of plant products with anti-glycation activity: a review. RSC Advances. 2015;5:31113-38.
- Galpaz N, Wang Q, Menda N, Zamir D, Hirschberg J. Abscisic acid deficiency in the tomato mutant high-pigment 3 leading to increased plastid number and higher fruit lycopene content. Plant J. 2008;53(5):717-30.
- Guri AJ, Hontecillas R, Si H, Liu D, Bassaganya-Riera J. Dietary abscisic acid ameliorates glucose tolerance and obesity-related inflammation in db/ db mice fed high-fat diets. Clin Nut. 2007;26(1):107-16.