Comparative Analysis of Bioactive Compounds in Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Fruit and Leaves

Introduction: Psidium guajava L. of Myrtaceae family commonly known as guava is highly consumed by people all over the world and India holds first position in cultivating best variety of fruit. Each part of guava tree contains properties that can be used in treating various diseases. Guava leaves are generally considered as non-conventional food product as it is not consumed by the people. Both guava fruit and its leaves contain good amount of nutritional, medicinal properties and they are considered to be a good source of bioactive compounds. Nearly all of these bioactive components exhibit beneficial properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and cardioprotective effects. These substances are valuable as food additives due to their antioxidant capabilities.

Aim: This study focused on analyzing and comparing the bioactive compounds present in guava fruit and its leaves.

Methodology: This study used fresh guava fruit and leaves that were dried and ground separately into a powder. Then, the powders were used for analysis of the bioactive compounds.

Results: The results revealed that guava leaves showing higher phenolic content (125±0.5 mg GAE/g), alkaloid content (11.98±0.3 mg/g), tannin content (265±0.4 mg/l), flavonoid content (8.72±0.7 mg/g) while guava fruit had elevated terpenoid content (3.79±0.2 mg/g) and saponin content (0.5%±0.3).

Conclusion: The findings show that the guava leaves aqueous contain a high content of bioactive compounds as compared to the guava fruit. Future studies can explore the therapeutic applications of guava bioactive compounds in pharmaceuticals and functional foods.