The Myrtaceae family has about 3000 species of fruit-producing trees. The edible fruits of these trees are widely consumed by the Indonesian people. Some of the plants belonging to this family are various guavas from the genus Syzygium. Traditionally, the guava plant is used to treat diarrhoea. It has been shown to possess antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and antioxidant activities. The present study is aimed at exploring the polyphenolic contents and antioxidant activity of the leaves of three types of guavas; Syzygium aqueum (Burm.f.) Alston, Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. and Perry., Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. & L.M. Perry, and compared to Psidium guajava leaves. The polyphenolic contents (total tannins, total flavonoids, and total phenols) of the four types of guava leaves were determined using standard methods. Qualitative determination of phenolics, flavonoids, and other organic components of these plants were also carried out using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The antioxidant capacity was measured by the phosphomolybdate method using quercetin as the reference standard. The results showed that the highest phenol and tannin content was found in Syzygium aqueum leaves compared to two other types of guavas from the genus Syzygium. The TLC chromatogram showed similarity in the organic components of the three types of guavas from the genus Syzygium. The antioxidant activity was exhibited by Syzygium aqueum leaves could be related to its high phenolic and tannin content.
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A 2023 study studied this question.