Psidium cattleianum as source of antioxidant compounds for functional foods

Psidium cattleianum Sabine (Family Myrtaceae), an important food crop and medicinal plant in tropical and subtropical countries, is widely used as food and in folk medicine in the world.It has several synonyms: P. vartabile Berg, P. littoral Raddi, P. indium Boyer and P. chinense D.C., but it is commonly called the strawberry guava on account of its specific aroma. It is a small tree with green reddish-brown bark and tough leaves. It possesses small reddish fruits about the size of a walnut. Although traditionally appreciated for its sensory attributes and expected functional properties, guava is still poorly characterized, and limited scientific information is available on the fruit.