The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Guava (peyara) is a very popular fruit to the people of all ages. It is often referred to as the apple of the tropics. This fruit is a native of tropical America probably from Mexico to Peru, and has long been naturalised in Bangladesh and India. Many varieties are known in cultivation, but a detailed horticultural and a systematic study of the species and its varieties is still lacking. Sometimes two varieties are broadly distinguished var, pyriferum and var, pomiferum based on the shape of the fruits. Fruits become green to light yellow, but in some varieties, red, varying in shape and size to a great extent; flesh creamish white to yellow and in some red. Guava grows nearly throughout the country from hilly areas Chittagong to Rangpur. The important guava growing areas are: Gazipur, Capasia, Ghorasal, Narsingdi, Jessore, Khulna and Satkhira. Kazi peyara is also very popular side by side with Deshi peyara. It can be grown on a variety of soils, from heavy clay to very light soils. It thrives best on sandy loam.

Botanical name of guava is Psidium guyava Linn. The tree begins to bear small crops from its fourth year . It reaches full maturity and starts bearing large crops in its eighth year and may continue to bear heavily for thirty years or more. It is a very hardy tree, and given good care may flourish for over fifty years. The guava tree takes nearly 5 months from flowering time to maturation of fruit. Fruits attaining maturity show signs of changing their colour from dark green to yellow green. This is the right stage for harvesting them for the market. Inarching or grafting by approach is the commercial method adopted for improvement of guava. The best time for this operation is the rainy season.

Sour-sweet, juicy and highly flavoured fruit guava is eaten mostly as fresh fruit. It may also be canned, preserved, spiced or made into jam, butter, marmalades, pies, ketchups, and chutneys. In Hawaii, guava juice is said to make an excellent substitute for orange or tomato juice in child feeding. Guava cheese is prepared from ripe and firm fruits. The fruits are washed and cut into small pieces, boiled in water and the pulp after straining to remove seeds and peels, is mixed with sugar and butter and heated until the mass becomes sufficiently thick. Cytric acid, common salt and colouring matter are added. For the preparation of guava jelly, healthy and rather tart fruits are preferred; they are washed, cut into small pieces, and after the addition of citric acid, boiled in water for about an hour. The juice is pressed out with a muslin cloth, and examined for the degree of richness in pectin content. It is cooked with an equal quantity of sugar till the resulting jelly boils at 105°.

Guava is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C and contains 4 to 10 times more of this vitamin than the citrus fruits. It also contains considerable amount of pectin. As compared to mango and apricot, guava is deficient in vitamin A but superior in most of the other major nutrients. A typical analysis of guava (as per 100grms. edible) is as follows: moisture, 82.8; mineral matter, 0.6; fibre, 5.2; calorie, 76; protein, 1.4; fat, 1.1; carbohydrate, 15.2 grms.; calcium, 20; iron, 1.4; vitamin B-1, 0.21: vitamin B-2, 0.09; and vitamin C 210 mg and carotene, 100fl/100g. The vitamin C value increases with maturity and is maximum when the fruit is fully mature, but declines when the fruit becomes over-ripe and soft. The vitamin C potency is probably a type characteristic not associated with colour.

Medicinal Properties: The guava plant as well as its fruits are of considerable medicinal importance. The guava leaves are used for wounds, ulcers and as an astringent for bowels. The young leaves are used as a tonic in the diseases of the digestive functions. The decoction of leaves has been used in cholera with some success in arresting vomiting and diarrhoea. An infusion of the leaves and roots is a popular astringent drink in Ghana. A decoction of the young leaves and shoots is prescribed in febrifuge and antispasmodic baths. Infusion of leaves is used in cerebral affections, nephritis and cochexia. The pounded leaves are locally applied in rheumatism and an extract is used in epilepsy and chorea; the tincture is rubbed over the spine of children suffering from convulsions. A decoction of the leaves when gargled relieves toothache and gum boils. The bark is valued for its astringent properties, and has been employed in diarrhoea in children. it is generally administered in the form of a decoction. The bark is tonic and the ash caustic. The flowers are said to cool the body and are used in bronchitis. They are also applied to eye sores. The fruit is tonic, cooling and laxative. It is good in colic and for bleeding gums. The fruit and its conserve are astringent and used in diarrhoea and dysentery (The Wealth Of India, Raw Materials, Psidium, 293 )

The fruit is acrid and sour, with a flvour; cooling, aphrodisiac; causes "kapha"; cures "vata", "tridosha", and biliousness (Ayurveda). The leaves are used for wounds and ulcers, and as an astringent for bowels. The flower cools the body; used in bronchitis; applied to sore eyes. The anthers dry wounds; cool and heated brain. The fruit is sweet or sour; tonic, cooling, laxative after food; used in thirst, heat of the body; good in colic, and for bleeding gums. The gum is tonic; the ash caustic (Yunani).

The bark of the root a is valued for its astringent properties, and has been employed with success in the diarrhoea of children. It is generally administered in the form of a decoction. The decoction serves a good deal in the prolapsus ani of children. The young leaves are used as a tonic in the diseases of the digestive functions, The bark of the var, pomiferum possesses similar properties. The decoction of the leaves has been used in cholera with some success, in arresting vomiting and diarrhoea. The leaves when chewed are said to be a remedy in toothache. In the Gold Coast, the roots are beaten and mixed with water and used in curing diarrhoea and dysentery. The leaves are said to relieve toothache when chewed. In Guiana, the roots, the leaves, and the buds are considered astringent and antidysenteric; an infusion of the roots and leaves is a popular astringent drink.

A decoction of the young leaves and shoots is prescribed in the West Indies in febrifuge and antispasmodic baths; an infusion of the leaves in cerebral affections, nephritis, and cachexia; the pounded leaves are locally applied in rheumatism; an extract is used in epilepsy and chorea; the tincture is rubbed into the spine of children suffering from convulsions. The fruit and its conserve are astringent and suitable to those suffering from diarrhoea and dysentery. The leaves (Joum, Chern, Soc., 1905) and the oil they yield (Schimmel, April, 1910) have been examined chemically (Indian Medicinal Plant, Kirtikar & B.D. Basu, Vol. 11, 1047).

Medicine: The fruit is astringent, and is employed by natives as a cure for diarrhoea. The bark, especially that of the root, is noticed in the Pharmacopoeia of India as an astringent worthy of notice. Dr. Waitz states that he employed it with much success in chronic infantile diarrhoea. He administered it as a decoction (1/2 oz. of the root bark, with 6 ozs. water, boiled down to 3 ozs.) in doses of one or more teaspoonfuls three times a day. He also recommends this preparation as a local application in the prolapsus ani of children. Many other writers have noticed the astringent properties of the bark, which appears to be worthy of more extended utilisation. The leaves possess similar qualities, through perhaps to a less marked extent, and are also said, when pounded down, to make an excellent poultice. In cases of scurvy, a decoction is employed as a mouth-wash for swollen gums, and has been used in cholera with some success, for arresting the vomiting and diarrhoeaic symptoms.

Special Opinions: "The unripe fruit has been found serviceable in diarrhoea" (Surgeon R. Gray, Lahore.) "As a poultice, leaves are useful in unhealthy ulcers" (Surgeon A.C Mukerji, Noakhally)." While the bark and leaves act as an astringent, the ripe fruit is generally used as a good aperient" (Assistant Surgeon N.L. Ghose, Bankipore). " A decoction of the root bark, and of the young leaves, is a useful astringent in chronic diarrhoea complicated with dyspepsia. It may be specially recommended for charitable dispensary practice, because it can be obtained without cost in any part of Bengal" (Civil Surgeon S.M. Shircore, Murshedabad). " The young leaves with the bud of the pomegranate and babul leaves, given in the form of a cold infusion, are useful in diarrhoea of children. A decoction of the unripe fruit is used with benefit in the diarrhoea of adults" (Hospital Assistant Lal Mohamed, Hoshangabad) (Dictionary of The Economic Products of India, psidium, 353,)

Properties and Uses: Leaves are used as astringent for bowels, wounds and ulcers; decoction of leaves is used in cholera for arresting vomiting and diarrhoea and as a gargle in bleeding gums, flowers are used in bronchitis and eye sores, fruits are astringent, tonic, cooling and laxative, and used in colic, diarrhoea and dysentery. Root bark is astringent and used in diarrhoea. Mature fruits are commonly eaten as nutritious and source of vitamin 'C'. (Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh, Abdul Ghani, Second Edition).