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Milind Parle & and Arzoo / Int. J. Res. Ayurveda Pharm. 7(Suppl 1), Jan - Feb 2016
108
Review Article
www.ijrap.net
WHY IS PEAR SO DEAR
Milind Parle * and Arzoo
Pharmacology Division, Department of Pharm. Sciences, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology,
Hisar, Haryana, India
Received on: 09 /10/15 Revised on: 09/10/15 Accepted on: 07/12/15
*Corresponding author
E-mail: mparle@redi ffmail.com
DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.07139
ABSTRACT
Nature has blessed us with superb flora and fauna, which has made our life lovely. One of these wonder s is Pear fruit. Pear is a gently sweet and juicy
fruit with buttery texture. In Sanskrit, it is named as ‘Amritphale’ because of i ts immense potential in human health care. P ear is distributed in
temperate regions all over the world. Pear makes an excellent dietary supplement being rich in minerals, nutrients and vitamins. Pear has unique
phyto-constituents, which have numerous medicinal properties. Arbutin present in Pear acts as a skin whitening agent and is used in cosmetic
preparations. Consumption of Pear on daily basis prevents the danger of uterine cancer especially in menopausal women. Pear has good wound
healing property. Eating a Pear before a big drinking session can significantly reduce your blood alcohol level and hangover symptoms. Pear
influences certain enzymes in our body in such a way that alcohol i s metabolized quickly. Pears maintain pH level of the body. Its boron content helps
the body to retain calcium, which in turn retards osteoporosis. It is also used as an energy drink and has properties like hypoli pidemic, anti-oxidant,
sedative, anti-inflammatory, hepato-protective, anti-bacterial, urodisinfectant, analgesic, spasmolytic, anti-diabetic and anti-pyretic. It is
recommended for weaning babies as it is not too harsh on a baby’s digestive system. This versatile fruit has several cuisines as well as cosmetic uses.
The objective of t his review art icle is to summarize the nutritional value, health benefits, phytochemical composition, pharmacological actions and
medicinal properties of Pear.
Key Words: Pear, Pyrus communis, Whitening agent, Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory.
INTRODUCTION
Nature has blessed us with a wonderful flora and fauna, which
has made our life lovely. In our previous article, we discussed at
length, medicinal properties of chickoo1 and sweet potato2. One
of these wonders is Pear fruit. Pear is a gently sweet juicy fruit
with glitter and buttery texture. It holds 2nd rank after apple in
nutrition amongst cultivated fruits. Ancient Greek poet Homer
narrated Pears as one of the ‘gifts of God’. Pear belongs to
dicotyledonous plant species of genus pyrus, (family Rosaceae).
In Sanskrit, it is named as ‘Amritphale’ because of its immense
potential in human health care3. Its varieties are widely
distributed all over the world, which may be ‘stiff-’ (Nashpati)
or ‘soft’ (Babbu-ghosh). Pears can be classified in to three
categories based upon their origin and commercial production
viz. i) European Pear (Pyrus communis L.), ii) Japanese Pear (P.
pyrifolia Burm.) and iii) Chinese Pear (P. bretschneideri Rehd.
and P. ussuriensis Maxim)3. Each part of Pear tree has high
nutritional value and possesses multiple medicinal properties
such as anti-inflammatory, sedative, anti-pyretic, anti-oxidant4,
hypolipidemic, hypoglycaemic, anti-aging, analgesic,
spasmolytic, anti-tussive, anti-diarrheal, wound healing5, anti-
microbial6 and hepato-protective. Pear contains arbutin, which is
an excellent skin-whitening agent used in several cosmetic
preparations. Pear wood is one of the dearly materials used in
the manufacture of high-quality woodwind instruments and
furniture. Thus, Pear tree is available for welfare of the society.
Geographical Distribution3
Pear is distributed in temperate regions all over the world.
World scenario: Pears are cultivated in China, USA, Argentina,
Italy, Turkey, Spain, India, South Africa, Belgium, Japan etc.
Indian Scenario: It is widely cultivated in different states of
India such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttara-
Khand, Jammu- Kashmir etc.
Table 1: Taxonomical Class ification of Pear
Kingdom
Plantae
Division
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopside
Order
Rosales
Family
Rosaceae
Subfamily
Amygdaloideae
Tribe
Maleae
Sub-tribe
Malinae
Genus
Pyrus L.
Species
Communis Linn.
Table 2: Indian Synonyms of Pear
Name
Language
State/Region
Perikai
Tamil
Tamilnadu
Berikkai
Kannada
Karnataka
Sabariil
Malayalam
Kerala
Berikkai
Telugu
Andhra Pradesh
Babbu-ghosha
Hindi
Punjab, Himachal
Pradesh, Haryana, Utt ar
Pradesh
Amritphala
Sanskrit
Haryana, Maharashtra
History
Pears are some of the oldest fruits in existence. According to the
Nanjing Agricultural University, China, Pears most probably
originated during the tertiary period, approximately 65 to 55
million years ago. The origin of Pear is so mysterious that it is
very difficult to guess precisely from where wild Pear
Milind Parle & and Arzoo / Int. J. Res. Ayurveda Pharm. 7(Suppl 1), Jan - Feb 2016
109
originated. In 50-120 A.D., Plutarch, a Greek historian and
biographer observed that wild Pear was used like a ball for
playing during festivals by young boys, who like to be called
as Ballachrades (Ballo, I throw; achras, a wild Pear). Before
Christian era, Homer made a mention of Pear in his poem, grew
in Alcinous’s (Greek philosopher) garden, which looked like
paradise of trees, so he called it as “gift of the Gods”. In Greek
mythology, Pear was sacred to two goddesses Hera (goddess of
women and marriage) and Aphrodite (goddess of love, desire
and beauty). Before the Christian era, the Pear was cultivated in
ancient Rome and was sacred to goddesses Venus (Roman
counterpart to the Greek Aphrodite) and Juno (Roman version of
the Greek Hera). In 1134 B.C, Pears were cultivated in China
and sharing of Pear was considered as bad luck because it was
believed that separation of friends or lovers would take place.
The word ‘li’ (pear) meant separation also. Gifting of fruit on
15th of July (hungry ghost festival) was treated as appeasing of
ghost and spirits. In Italy, Pear was sacred to goddess Pomona
(goddess of fruit tree, orchard, fertility and long life), whose
throne was made of Pears. Charlemagne, who ruled France in
9th century, cultivated Pear in his orchards and established the
first notable landmark in the history of Pear. This early history
of the Pear in France was repeated step by step in Belgium.
Pear-breeding began in Belgium about 1730, when Nicolas
Hardenpont, 1705-1774 a priest in his native town of Mons,
made sowing of a large Pear seed with a view of obtaining new
Pears of superior quality. In 1630, Endicott, first governor of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, planted one of the first fruit trees of
Pear cultivated in America, as his children watched on. This tree
is still alive and has age of 383 yrs. In 1826, the catalog of the
Horticultural Society of London listed 622 pears. In Asia,
cultivation of Pears began over 2500 years ago. In Japan, Pear
seeds were dating from 200-300 years. Le Lecier, an attorney of
the king at Orleans described 254 Pears in 1628, Merlet
described 197 Pears in 1667, La Quintinye described 67 Pears in
1690, Duhamel described 119 Pears in 1768, Chartreuse fathers
described 102 Pears in 1775, Tollard described 120 Pears in
1851, Noiestte described 238 Pears in 1833 and Leroy described
900 Pears in 1867. Now-a-days, we can produce Pears that look
exactly like fat little ‘Buddha’, complete with folded arms,
plump tummies, and meditative smiles.
Cultivation and Collection
The Pear tree is widely farmed in temperate regions. Pears
requiring chilling conditions are cultivated in plains of North
India. Cultivars requiring high chilling hours (900-1000) are
cultivated at higher hills of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttara-Khand. Pear tree needs 2-4 years to get the
fruit. Pears take 3- 5 months for ripping to full bloom. The age
of a Pear tree is up to 75 years. India’s Pear season ranges from
late summer to early winter.
Sand
Pear tree prefers deep well drained loam soils with pH less than
8.5. Alkaline soil is unfit for cultivation. High pH soils show
iron chlorosis and zinc deficiencies in Pear plants.
Climate
Pears can be grown successfully at 1200 to 1800 meters above
sea level. Pears can tolerate both low temperatures below 0°C
and can withstand high temperatures of summer (47°C). Best
temperature for flowering and fruiting is 2°C in winter and 32°C
in summers.
Rainfall
100-125 cm of rainfall is sufficient for good growth of Pears.
Sun exposure
Pear fruit needs full sun exposure for growth.
Bloom time
Pear fruits bloom during summer and fall time.
Table 3: Botanical Description of Pear
Tree height
13m
Trunk colour
Grey
Leaves
Ovate, 10cm, bright green
Flower
White or rosy , 1.5 cm wide
Fruit
White pulp, Juicy, Edible pome
Pharmacological Actions
Anti-microbial activity
Fresh Pear juice and aqueous extract of leaves show anti-
bacterial activity against Staphylococcus and E.coli because of
the presence of phytoconstituent arbutin (bacteriostatic), which
gets further, converted into hydroquinone in body3, 6. This
hydroquinone also possesses anti-bacterial activity, boosts
biochemical processes and operates defence mechanisms against
bacteria invasion. Aqueous extract of young shoots of Pear show
anti-bacterial activity as it contains hydroquinone7. Ethyl acetate
extract shows strongest anti-bacterial activity than other
extracts.
Anti-oxidant activity
Pear is a rich source of vitamin C, quercetrin and copper, which
protect cells from damage by free radicals. Fruits 4 (phloridzin,
chlorogenic acid and quercetin), leaves (quercetin, coumarin and
chlorogenic acid), root barks (phloridzin) and flowers
(chlorogenic acid) of Pear tree help in destroying reactive
oxygen species thereby acting as an anti-oxidant.
Anti-cancer activity
Consumption of Pear on regular basis prevents the danger of
bladder8, lungs9 and oesophageal cancer10. Pears contain
urosolic acid that inhibits aromatase activity thereby preventing
cancer. Isoquercitrin present in fruit maintains DNA integrity.
Thus, consumption of Pear on daily basis prevents the danger of
cancer, especially in menopausal women.
Cholesterol lowering activity
Pears have high content of pectin, which lowers down levels of
LDL, triglycerides and VLDL thereby reducing risk of high
cholesterol11.
Anti-inflammatory action
Pears can be useful in treating inflammation of mucous
membranes, colon, chronic gall-bladder disorders, arthritis and
gout. Carotene, zeaxanthin and vitamin C are nutrients present
abundantly in Pear, which lower the concentration of
inflammation - causing C-reactive proteins.
Anti-diabetic activity
The fruit contains high amount of fiber, which maintains blood
glucose levels in diabetics11. Furthermore, levulose, low fructose
and low sucrose fruit sugars are well tolerated by diabetic
patients.
Skin- whitening effect
Pear contains arbutin, which decreases melanin in the skin and
acts as a natural skin whitening agent3.
Wound healing effect
Pear has also been shown to be efficacious in speeding up the
healing process for various types of wounds. It actually aids in
several steps of the healing process. Astringent tannins constrict
wounds. Vitamin C, an antioxidant, stimulates the production of
collagen, the primary structural protein in skin. The presence of
phytoconstituent arbutin (bacteriostatic) helps in curtailing the
risk of wound infection5.
Milind Parle & and Arzoo / Int. J. Res. Ayurveda Pharm. 7(Suppl 1), Jan - Feb 2016
110
Bone health
Pears maintain pH level of the body. Its boron content helps the
body to retain calcium, which in turn retards osteoporosis.
Constipation
Pear is a gentle laxative due to its pectin content. Drinking Pear
juice regularly helps regulate bowel movements. Pectin is a type
of fibre that binds to fatty substances in the digestive tract and
promotes their elimination. Pear may produce gastric upset,
stomach pain and diarrhoea in individuals suffering from
irritable bowel disorders.
Immune- booster
The anti-oxidant nutrients of Pears are critical in building up
your immune system. Pear juice shows mild anti-pyretic effect
due to its cooling property3.
Pregnancy
Pear contains high amount of folate, which prevents neural tube
defects in infants.
Cardiovascular disease
Pears prevent high blood pressure, stroke and thus, help in
curing cardiovascular disorders.
Respiratory diseases
The summer heat may cause children to have shortness of breath
with excessive phlegm. Drinking of Pear juice during summers
helps in clearing the phlegm. It reduces vocal cord
inflammation, nourishes the throat and helps prevent throat
problems.
Action on urinary system
Arbutin present in Pear helps in relieving urinary infections and
extract of leaves act as urodisinfectant12.
Weight loss
Pectin is a type of fibre that binds to fatty substances in the
digestive tract and promotes their elimination. Thus, Pear helps
in reducing body weight13.
Table 4: Medicinal Uses of Pear
Sr.
Medicinal uses
Plant Parts
References
1.
Anti-microbial
Fruit , leaf , Shoot
6,7
2.
Anti- inflammatory (Wound healing)
Leaf, Flower, Bark, Root, Fruit
4
3.
Hypoglycaemic
Fruit
11
4.
Anti-oxidant
Fruit
3
5.
Anti-radical
Leaf
14
6.
Hypolipidemic
Fruit
11
7.
Anti-aging
Fruit
15
8.
Urinary therapeutics
Fruit, Leaf
12
9.
Skin whitening
Fruit
3
10.
Analgesic
Flower
3,12
11.
Spasmolytic
Flower
3,12
12.
Anti-tussive
Fruit
12
13.
Anti-pyretic
Fruit
3,12
14.
Astringent
Leaf, Bark
12
15.
Sedative
Fruit
3
16.
Anti-cancer
Fruit
8,9,10
Traditional Uses
Pear is a fruit blessed with several nutritional values, hence
serves as a useful energy drink. It is being used in the treatment
of various diseases from ancient time. Pear maintains folic acid
levels during pregnancy and prevents development of birth
defects in babies. Pear is recommended for weaning babies,
which aren’t too harsh on a baby’s digestive system. Pear is
useful in dysmenorrhea, when taken regularly12. Low sugar
content and high pectin levels make Pear suitable for diabetic
patients. Pears were used as a natural remedy against nausea in
ancient Greece. It maintains acid balance in body. Pear juice is
an immune booster. Obese people prefer it in reducing body
weight12. Pear is a powerful cardio-protective fruit as it lowers
high blood pressure. Pear also possesses promising neuro-
protective properties thereby preventing the development of
neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsonism, Huntington’s
disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Pears are used in preventing
constipation as they contain a lot of fiber, which is essential for
a healthy digestive system. It is useful in fever due to its cooling
property. Pear juice nourishes the throat and helps in preventing
shortness of breath during hot days. Pear is preferred by persons,
who are allergic to wheat or other foods. Regular consumption
of Pear lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration,
which is the main cause of vision loss in older adults.
Cosmetic uses of pear
Pear for Skin
Pear contains such nutrients, which are beneficial for skin. It can
be added in diet or various face-packs and hair packs. Pear is
useful in treating oily skin. It helps in removing acne. It keeps
skin moisturized for long. Pear is an effective natural scrub. It is
good for lips. It facilitates wrinkle – free skin. Pear also
improves the tone of skin.
Pear for Hair
Pear consumption on daily basis helps in nourishing hair and
keeps them healthy. Pear hair- packs aid in taming curly hairs.
These hair-packs help in reducing dryness of hair and restore the
hair shine.
Miscellaneous Uses
Pear wood is one of the preferred materials in the manufacture
of high-quality wood-wind instruments and furniture. Pear tree
is used for wood carving, and as firewood to produce aromatic
smoke required for smoking meat or tobacco. Pear wood is
appreciated in kitchen because the spoons, scoops and stirrers
made out of Pear woods do not contaminate food with colour,
flavour or smell, and resists warping and splintering. Pear wood
is applied for making of brush backs, umbrella handles,
recorders, violin, guitar fingerboards, piano keys, engineering
instruments such as set squares and T-squares and decorative
Milind Parle & and Arzoo / Int. J. Res. Ayurveda Pharm. 7(Suppl 1), Jan - Feb 2016
111
veneering. Pear wood is the favoured wood for architect's rulers
because it does not warp. Pears work well in a variety of
savoury and sweet dishes, and they are exceptionally versatile
on account of their ability to withstand high temperatures.
Beautiful jellies and jams can be prepared out of Pear juice. Pear
is also used in making of dyes. Pear juice is utilized in making
wine known as ‘Perry’.
Cuisine Uses
There are lots of ways in which Pear can be used in cooking.
This versatile fruit can be eaten raw, used in salads, canned,
pureed, poached or baked. It can also be made into jellies and
jams. Perry is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears.
Strange Facts
Pears were given the nickname “butter fruit” in 17th century
because of their soft and buttery texture. Eating Pear before a
big drinking session can significantly reduce your blood alcohol
level and hangover symptoms. The skin of Pear contains at least
three to four times as many phenolic phytonutrients as that of
flesh. Pear never ripens on the tree, but it ripens off the tree.
Pears will ripen quicker if you place them by the side of bananas
but its life span would be enhanced, when placed in refrigerator.
The Chinese considered Pear, which they call “li”, to be a
symbol of immortality. The destruction of Pear tree symbolized
tragic or untimely death. In China, fen li means both “to share a
Pear” and “to separate”. Therefore, it is considered bad luck to
share a Pear, because it may lead to separation of friends or
lovers. The long-lived Pear trees symbolize long life and good
fortune in China. Before tobacco was introduced in Europe,
Pear leaves were smoked.
Pear before beer
Remember, the best way not to get alcohol hangover is not to
drink in the first place. Australia’s National Science Agency,
CSIRO, has reported that eating an Asian Pear before a big
drinking session can significantly reduce your blood alcohol
level and hangover symptoms16. Another study reported that
consuming 220ml of Pear juice (equivalent to one whole pear)
can reduce blood alcohol levels to the extent of 20 % and bring
down hangover symptoms such as amnesia, difficulty in
concentrating, sensitivity to light and sound by decreasing the
blood concentration of acetaldehyde (the toxic metabolite of
alcohol). Pear influences certain enzymes in our body in such a
way that alcohol is metabolized quickly. On the other hand,
there is no evidence showing beneficial effects of Pear after
drinking bouts.16
Pear – Salad
Pear never ripens on the tree, but it ripens off t he tree
Table 5: International Synonyms of Pear
Sr.
Name
Language
Country
1.
Peer
Afrikaans
North and South Africa
2.
Tanj
Armenian
Armenia
3.
Peara
Aromanian
Southern Balkans
4.
Armud
Azeri
South Caucasus
5.
Min nan , salei,belie
Chinese
China
6.
Peren
Cornish
United Kingdom
7.
Paira
Dalmantian
Dalmantia
8.
Peer
Dutch
Belgium
9.
Pear
English
USA
10.
Piro
Esperanto
East Asia, South America
11.
Pirn
Estonian
Estonia
12.
Pera
Faroese
Denmark
13.
Poire
French
France
14.
Msxali
Georgian
Georgia
15.
Birne
German
Germany
16.
Achladi ,apidi ,apion
Greek
Greece
17.
Babbu-gosha
Hindi, Punjabi
India
18.
Pera
Icelandic
Iceland
19.
Pera
Italian
Italy
20.
Nashi
Japanese
Japan
21.
Paithe
Norman
Canada, Ireland
22.
Seoyangbae, bae
Korean
Korea
23.
Poara
Malagasy
Madagascar
24.
Pea
Maori
New Zealand
25.
Peer
Scots
Scotland
26.
Pear
Spanish
Argentina , Spain
27
Anbarani ,asalemi, masali
Talysh
Iran
28.
Armut ,grusa
Tatar
Russia
29.
Armut
Turkish
Turkey, Cyprus
Milind Parle & and Arzoo / Int. J. Res. Ayurveda Pharm. 7(Suppl 1), Jan - Feb 2016
112
Table 6: Phytoconstituents of Pear 17-20
Sr.
Phytoconstituents
Plant Part
1.
Glycosides
Arbutin, Quercetin, Isorhamnetin
Kaempferol, 3,5- dicafeoylquinic acid, Astragalin and Pyroside
Leaf, Fruit
Leaf
2.
Vitamins
Vitamin A, Retinol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B12 (folate), Vitamin B3
(niacin), Choline, Betaine and Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Fruit
3.
Minerals
Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorous, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Manganese,
Selenium and Fluoride
Seed, Fruit
4.
Flavonoids
Quercetin 3-O-β-D glucopyrano side, Kaempferol 3-O-β-D (6”-O-α-Lrhamnopyranosyl)-
glucopyranoside and Querce 3-O-β-D-(6”-O-α-L-rhamnopyrano syl)-glucopyranoside
Phloridzin
Fruit, Flower
Root bark
5.
Alkaloids
Fruit
6.
Sterol
β- sitosterol, Saccharostenon
Flower
7.
Phenolic acid-
Chlorogenic acid, Gallic acid
Leaf, Flower, fruit
8.
Anthocyanins
Fruit
9.
Tannins
Leaf, Fruit
10.
Coumarin
Leaf
11.
Carbohydrate
Seed, Fruit
12.
Polyphenol oxidase
Fruit
13.
Triterpenes
α-amyrin
Ursolic acid
Friedelin, Epifeiedelanol
Flower, Stem bark
Leaf
Bark
14.
Lipid
Seed, Fruit
15.
Fatty acid
Stearic acid, Pal mitic acid and Arachidic acid
Flower
Table 7: Amino Acid Content of Pear for Edible P ortion21
Amino acids
Value per 100 grams
Threonine
2.12g
Isolucine
3.18g
Leucine
4.98g
Lysine
3.28g
Methionine
0.72g
Cystine
0.56g
Phenylalanine
3.13g
Tyrosine
0.34g
Valine
3.02g
Arginine
3.09g
Histidine
2.87g
Alanine
2.71g
Aspartic acid
5.79g
Glutamic acid
6.58g
Glycine
2.81g
Serine
1.77g
CONCLUSION
Nature has blessed us with superb flora and fauna, which has
made our life lovely. One of these wonders is Pear fruit. In this
review article, we have made humble attempt to summarize the
nutritional value, health benefits, phytochemical composition,
pharmacological actions and medicinal properties of Pear. Pear
is a juicy fruit with gently sweet taste. It serves as an economical
package of health care. Pear is a treasure of nutrients, minerals
and vitamins, which make it a sound dietary supplement. Eating
a pear before a big drinking session can significantly reduce
your blood alcohol level. Pear juice is an excellent remedy for
reducing hangover symptoms as Pear decreases the blood
concentration of acetaldehyde, the toxic metabolite of alcohol.
Pear has numerous medicinal properties such as hypolipidemic,
anti-oxidant, sedative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, wound
healing, anti-bacterial, urodisinfectant, analgesic, spasmolytic,
hepato-protective, anti-diabetic and anti-pyretic property. Pear is
not only beneficial in maintaining wrinkle free skin, shine of the
skin, but also useful in acne. Pear maintains folic acid level
during pregnancy and prevents development of birth defects in
babies. As pear has low acid content, it is recommended for
weaning babies, because they aren’t too harsh on a baby’s
digestive system. Pear provides energy to the body and boosts
up immune system. We can say pear is a versatile fruit, which
has multi-faceted uses such as medicinal uses, cosmetic uses as
well as cuisine uses. Pear being inexpensive is within the reach
of poor people and brings about huge health benefits.
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Cite this article as:
Milind Parle and Arzoo. Why is pear so dear. Int. J. Res.
Ayurveda Pharm. Jan – Feb 2016;7(Suppl 1):108-113
http://dx.doi.org/10.7897/2277-4343.07139
Source of support: Nil, Conflict of interest: None Declared
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