• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1773-1778
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• 2009

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) contains high amount of vitamins and minerals, and its leaves have been reported to be very effective on reducing blood pressure. In this study, antimicrobial characteristics of extracts from four different parts of guava (fruit, branch, leaf, and seed) with four different solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone, and water) were evaluated. Four targeted food-borne microorganisms were selected; two Gram negatives (Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium) and two Gram positives (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes). By the paper disc method, guava extracts showed stronger clear hollow zone against Gram positive bacteria than Gram negatives in nutrient broth agar plate. Especially, extracts of branches and leaves showed significant antibacterial activity. Guava extracts also showed significant inhibition activity on the growth of Gram positive food-borne bacteria in nutrient broth. For example, S. aureus did not grow at all at 200 ppm of acetone extracts of guava branch and leaf. In the case of L. monocytogenes, the same concentration of acetone extracts of guava branch and leaf inhibited the growth 33.5% and 55.4%, respectively, at 32 hrs of incubation time. The results indicated that extracts of guava branch and leaf showed significant antibacterial activities against food-borne Gram positive microorganisms, and that guava branches, the byproducts of guava, might be a valuable resource for antibacterial materials.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.124-129
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• 2011

PC12 neuronal cell-protective effects of hot water extracts of guava fruit and leaf were evaluated. Total phenolic levels in fruit and leaf were 11.75 and 293.25 mg/g, respectively. Gallic acid, the predominant phenoic, was detected in both extracts. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation after $H_2O_2$ treatment was significantly reduced when the hot water extract of guava leaf was added to cell medium, compared to PC12 cells treated with $H_2O_2$ only. In a cell viability assay using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl- tetrazoliumbromide (MTT), the hot water extracts of fruit and leaf protected against $H_2O_2$-induced neurotoxicity. The leaf extract was more effective in terms of inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release into medium, compared to the fruit extract. These in vitro data suggest that hot water extracts of guava fruit and leaf may be useful in treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.