Annona muricata / Graviola / Annonaceae (Custard Apple family)

Information

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Other Names

English: Brazilian pawpaw, soursop, prickly custard apple, Soursapi
Spanish: guanábana, guanábano, anona, catche, catoche, catuche, zapote agrio
Chamorro: laguaná, laguana, laguanaha, syasyap
German: Sauersack, Stachelannone, anona, flashendaum, stachel anone, stachliger
Fijian: sarifa, seremaia
French: anone muriquee, cachiman épineux, corossol épineux,anone, cachiman épineux, caichemantier, coeur de boeuf, corossol, corossolier, epineux
Indonesian: sirsak
Māori: kātara‘apa, kātara‘apa papa‘ā, naponapo taratara
Dutch: zuurzak
Portuguese: graviola, araticum-grande, araticum-manso, coração-de-rainha, jaca-de-pobre, jaca-do-Pará, anona, curassol, graviola, pinha azeda
Samoan: sanalapa, sasalapa, sasalapa
Tahitian: tapotapo papa‘a, tapotapo urupe

Contents

Acetogenins, quinolines, isoquinolines, annopentocins and annomuricins. Coreximine and reticuline subfractions have been isolated from root bark. (3)

Historical

The fruit of Annona muricata is sold in local markets in the tropics, where it is called guanábana in Spanish-speaking countries and graviola in Brazil. The fruit pulp is excellent for making drinks and sherbets and, though slightly sour-acid, can be eaten out of hand. Graviola has a long, rich history of use in herbal medicine as well as a lengthy recorded indigenous use. All parts of the graviola tree are used in natural medicine in the tropics, including the bark, leaves, roots, fruit, and fruit seeds. Different properties and uses are attributed to the different parts of the tree. The bark and leaves are typically prepared into a tea. (1) In the Caribbean it is believed that laying the leaves of the soursop on a bed below a sleeping person with a fever will break the fever by the next morning. (2)

"The bark, leaves, root, and fruits have been used as traditional remedies in many countries. Extracts of graviola have been shown to have antiviral, antiparasitic, antirheumatic, astringent, emetic, antileishmanial and cytotoxic effects. Graviola has also been shown to be effective against multidrug resistant cancer cells line. There are no large scale studies in humans on the effects of graviola. Alkaloids extracted from graviola may cause neuronal dysfunction and degeneration leading to symptoms reminiscent of Parkinson's Disease." (3)

Plant Description

Graviola is a small, upright evergreen tree, 5-6 m high, with large, glossy, dark green leaves. It produces a large, heart-shaped, edible fruit that is 15-20 cm in diameter, is yellow-green in color, and has white flesh inside.

References

(1) Graviola, Raintree Tropical Plant Database
(2) Annona muricata, Wikipedia
(3) Graviola, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center