Breeding for pulp colour in Guava: current status and opportunities

Guava (Psidium guajava L.), a member of the family Myrtaceae, is the third richest source of vitamin C after Barbados cherry and aonla. Guava has many medicinal properties associated with every plant part. Coloured guava has additional nutritive value due to its lycopene, anthocyanin, and carotenoid content, which impart colour to its pulp and serve as potential antioxidants. In this review, the various categories of pulp colour in guava, genetics of pulp colour, pigments responsible for various pulp colours, and the biosynthetic pathway of those pigments are presented in detail. The recent advances in guava show that both carotenoids and anthocyanins contribute significantly to its pulp colour. The final pulp colour of the guava depends on the relative proportion of the pigments, i.e. anthocyanins, lycopene, and other carotenoids.