ABSTRACT
Pears(PyruscommunisL.)aregrownintemperateareasofbothhemispheres.Theseare deciduous,cold-requiringfruitcropswhichcangrowintropicallowlandsbutneversetfmit there,sincetheyneedacertainnumberofhourswithtemperaturesbelow7°Ctoreplacethe dormantperiodofthetemperateclimates.Hence,theproductionofpearisconcentratedmostlyin temperateregionsoftheworld(Table1).Thegreatestincreaseinproductioninrecentyearshas beeninArgentinaandChile.From1985to1990bothcountriesdoubledtheirpearproduction(1): Pearsareconsumedprimarilyasfreshfmit.However,apartofpearproductionisutilizedin processingindustries.Extractsofdifferentpartsoftheplanthaveshownvariableantibacterial action.FreshpearjuiceexhibitedgoodactivityagainstMicrococcuspyrogenesandEscherichia coli(2).AnaqueousextractoftheleaveswasactiveagainstsomestrainsofE!jcherichiacoli(2). Chlorogenicacidispresentinthevegetativepartsofthetree.Theleavescontainarbutin, isoquercitin,sorbitol,astragalin,andtannin(2).
