Abstract
Psidium guajava (L.) belongs to the Myrtaceae family and it is an important fruit in tropical areas like India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South America. The leaves of the guava plant have been studied for their health benefits which are attributed to their plethora of phytochemicals, such as quercetin, avicularin, apigenin, guaijaverin, kaempferol, hyperin, myricetin, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, and caffeic acid. Extracts from guava leaves (GLs) have been studied for their biological activities, including anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, lipid-lowering, and hepatoprotection activities. In the present review, we comprehensively present the nutritional profile and phytochemical profile of GLs. Further, various bioactivities of the GL extracts are also discussed critically. Considering the phytochemical profile and beneficial effects of GLs, they can potentially be used as an ingredient in the development of functional foods and pharmaceuticals. More detailed clinical trials need to be conducted to establish the efficacy of the GL extracts.
Highlights
Plants are a predominant natural source of numerous bioactive compounds [1,2].Several diseases have been cured using a variety of plant preparations in folk medicine since ancient times [3] and, presently, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries are paying more attention to plant preparations and pure phytochemicals
Terpenoids and flavonoids present in guava leaves (GLs) exhibit antitumor effects by regulating the immune system, suppression of signal transfer and tumor cell adhesion, and an impediment to tumor angiogenesis and cell proliferation [48]. Studies suggest that these leaves exhibit a potent inhibitory effect against cancer cell lines like MDAMB-231 and Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) for breast cancer, Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) for cervical cancer, KB for nasopharyngeal cancer, LNCaP, DU 145, and prostate cancer-3 (PC-3) for prostate cancer, and colorectal 320 double minutes (COLO320DM) for colon cancer [49]
GL extracts have been extensively studied for their high levels of antioxidant, anticancer, hypoglycemic, and other biological activities
Summary
Plants are a predominant natural source of numerous bioactive compounds [1,2]. Several diseases have been cured using a variety of plant preparations in folk medicine since ancient times [3] and, presently, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries are paying more attention to plant preparations and pure phytochemicals. The flavonoids present in guava leaf extract determine their antibacterial activity, while quercetin, which is the most predominant flavonoid of guava leaves, exhibits strong antidiarrheal activities. The presence of a unique variety of bioactive polyphenolic compounds, like quercetin and other flavonoids, and ferulic, caffeic, and gallic acids, present in guava leaves primarily determine their bioactive and therapeutic properties [8,13]. These phenolic compounds are known as secondary metabolites which exhibit strong antioxidant and immunostimulant activities. This review aims to discuss the various nutritional and bioactive compounds present in guava leaves and decipher the molecular basis of their pharmacological and medicinal properties concerning human health, nutrition, and as complementary medicine
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