Guayabano
Annona muricata
SOURSOP

Common names   
Atti (Ibn.)  Guyabana (Tag.) 
Babana (P. Bis.)  Guayabano (Tag.) 
Bayubana (Ilk.)  Labanus (Sul.) 
Gayubano (Ilk., Ibn.)  Labanos (Bik.) 
Guabana (Tag.)  Prickly custard apple (Engl.) 
Guanabano (Tag.)  Brazilian pawpaw (Engl.) 
Guiabano (Sbl., Tag.) Soursop (Engl.) 

Botany
· Small tree, usually less than 7 meters high. Leaves are smooth, shiny oblong to oblong-ovate, pointed on both ends, with petioles about 5 mm long. Flowers are large, solitary, yellow or greenish-yellow. Fruit is ovoid and large, covered with small spine-like structures. Pulp is fleshy, soft, white and fibrous.

Distribution
Cultivated for its edible fruit.

Parts utilized:
Leaves, flowers, fruiit.

Chemical constituents
· Alcoholic extract of leaves yielded as essential oil.
· The extract also yielded a dark-green resin containing: myricyl alcohol, sitosterol, fatty acids (oleci, linolic, and stearic) and anonol.
· Flesh of fruit contains saccharose 2.53%, dextrose 5.05 percent, and levulose 0.04%.
· Bark contained an alkaloid found to be poisonous.
· Seed contains a non-poisonoous alkaloid.
· Recent studies isolated three acetogenins: annonacin, annonacin A and annomuricin A.

Properties
Fruit is reported antiscorbutic and astrigent>
Flowers are pectoral.
Leaves are antispasmodic.
Seeds are emetic.
Infusion of leaves are sudorific.
Recent studies suggest a potential for antiviral, antiparasitic and anti-cancer properties.

Toxicity
· Presence of alkaloids anonaine and anoniine have been reported.The bark yields muricine and muricinine and is high in hydrocyanic acid; small amounts are found in the leaves and roots, and a trace in the fruit.
· Caribbean study suggested a connection between consumption of soursop and atypical forms of Parkinson's disease due to the very high concentration of Annonacin


Uses
Nutrition
· Juicy ripe fruit is eaten raw. Used in making beverages and jelly tarts.
· Fruit is an excellent source of vitamins B and C.
Folkloric
· Unripe fruit used for dysentery.
· Ripe fruit is antiscorbutic.
· Seeds and green fruit are astringent.
· Flowers are antispasmodic.
· Infusion of leaves used as sudorific, antispasmodic and emetic.
· In some cultures, the fruits and leaves are used for tranquilizing and sedative properties.
· Juice of ripe fruit used as diuretic and for hematuria and urethritis.
· Flesh of soursop used as poultice to draw out chiggers.
·Decoction of leaves used of head lice and bedbugs.
· Pulverized seeds and seed oil effective for head lice.
· Fruit used as a bait in fish traps.
· Decoction of leaves used as compresses for inflammation and swollen feet.
· Poultice of mashed leaves and sap of young leaves used for eczema and skin eruptions.
· Flowers used to alleviate catarrh.
Others
· Bark has been used in tanning.
· The wood is a potential source of paper pulp.

· For a good night's sleep, leaves are put in the pillow slip or strewn in bed.

Studies
Many studies reported on this plant.
• Cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of Annona muricata pericarp: Extracts and fractionation led to the isolation of three acetogenins—annonacin, annonacin A and annomuricin A
• Morphological Changes and Hypoglycemic Effects of Annona Muricata Linn. (Annonaceae) Leaf Aqueous Extract on Pancreatic ?-Cells of Streptozotocin-Treated Diabetic Rats.
• Studies have confimed anti-viral activity of Annona muricata against the Herpes simplex virus.
• There are much publicized studies on the anti-tumor, anti-cancer and selective toxicity of Annona muricata against several types of cancer cells. One study showed that one of the acetoginins was seletively cytotoxic to colon adenocarcinoma cells, with a potency 10,000 times that of adriamycin.

Availability
Fruit cultivation.
 



Additional sources
Benefits and risks of graviola supplements
Graviola research by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
http://www.raysahelian.com/graviola.html

Cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of Annona muricata pericarp
M. C. Jaramilloa, G. J. Arango, , a, M. C. Gonzálezb, S. M. Robledoc and I. D. Velezc
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?
Soursop — Annona muricata
Morton, J. 1987. Soursop. p. 75–80. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/soursop.html
Soursop —Health Risk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soursop
Morphological Changes and Hypoglycemic Effects of Annona Muricata Linn. (Annonaceae) Leaf Aqueous Extract on Pancreatic ?-Cells of Streptozotocin-Treated Diabetic Rats
Stephen O. Adewole1* and Ezekiel A. Caxton-Martins2
http://www.ajbrui.com/files/AJBR0903173187g.pdf
Recent Advances in Annonae Research
http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/herbal_graviola.html