Friday 19 April 2013
GRAVIOLA A GREAT CURE FOR CANCER: GRAVIOLA Sour sop is the fruit of Annona muricata , a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree native to Mexico , Cuba , Central A...
(EAGLESISLAND TECHNOLOGIES)NIGERIA'S NO.1 ICT SOLUTIONS CENTER: GRAVIOLA A GREAT CURE FOR CANCER: GRAVIOLA Sour sop is the fruit of Annona muricata , a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree native to Mexico , Cuba , Central A...
GRAVIOLA A GREAT CURE FOR CANCER
GRAVIOLA
Sour sop is the fruit of Annona muricata, a
broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree
native to Mexico, Cuba, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America, primarily Colombia, Brazil, Peru,
Ecuador, and Venezuela. Soursop is also produced in Somalia and Uganda. Today, it is also grown in some
areas of Southeast Asia, as well as
in some Pacific islands. It was most likely brought from Mexico to the Philippines by way of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon
trade. It is in the same genus as the chirimoya and the same family as the pawpaw.
Nutritional value per 100 g
(3.5 oz)
|
|
276 kJ
(66 kcal)
|
|
16.84
g
|
|
- Sugars
|
13.54
g
|
3.3
g
|
|
0.30
g
|
|
1.00
g
|
|
Vitamin A equiv.
|
0
μg (0%)
|
0.070
mg (6%)
|
|
0.050
mg (4%)
|
|
0.900
mg (6%)
|
|
0.059
mg (5%)
|
|
Folate (vit. B9)
|
14
μg (4%)
|
20.6
mg (25%)
|
|
14
mg (1%)
|
|
0.6
mg (5%)
|
|
21
mg (6%)
|
|
27
mg (4%)
|
|
278
mg (6%)
|
|
0.1
mg (1%)
|
|
Percentages
are relative to
US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
|
The soursop is adapted to areas of high
humidity and relatively warm winters; temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F) will
cause damage to leaves and small branches, and temperatures below 3 °C
(37 °F) can be fatal. The fruit becomes dry and is no longer good for
concentrate.
Other common names include: Evo
(Ewe, Volta Region, Ghana),"Ekitafeeli",Uganda,
Aluguntugui (Ga, Greater Accra Region,
Ghana) guanábana (Spanish), graviola
(Brazilian Portuguese, pronounced: [gɾɐviˈɔlɐ]),
anona (European Portuguese), corossol (French),කටු අනෝදා (Sinhalese), sorsaka
(Papiamento), adunu
(Acholi), Brazilian pawpaw, guyabano, guanavana,
toge-banreisi, durian benggala, durian belanda, nangka blanda, thu-rian khack (Thai), sirsak,
zuurzak (Dutch) and nangka
londa. In Malayalam, it is called mullaatha, literally thorny custard
apple. The other lesser-known Indian names are shul-ram-fal and Lakshmana
Phala. And in Harar (Ethiopia) in Harari language known for centuries as
Amba Shoukh (Thorny Mango or Thorny Fruit).
The flavour has been
described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple, with sour citrus
flavour notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavour reminiscent of coconut or banana.
Cultivation and uses
The plant is grown as a commercial herb crop for its 20–30 cm (7.9–12 in) long, prickly,
green fruit, which can have a mass of up to 15 lb
(6.8 kg), making it probably the second biggest annona after the junglesop.
Away from its native area, some limited
production occurs as far north as southern Florida within USDA Zone 10; however, these are mostly
garden plantings for local consumption. It is also grown in parts of Southeast Asia and abundant on the Island of Mauritius. The
soursop will reportedly fruit as a container specimen, even in temperate
climates, if protected from cool temperatures.
A. muricata flower
The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible,
white pulp, some fiber, and a
core of indigestible, black seeds. The species is the only member of its genus
suitable for processing and preservation. The sweet pulp is used to make juice,
as well as candies, sorbets, and ice cream flavorings.
In Mexico, Colombia and Harar (Ethiopia), it
is a common fruit, often used for dessert as the only ingredient, or as an agua fresca beverage; in Colombia, it is a fruit for
juices, mixed with milk. Ice cream and fruit bars made of soursop are also very
popular. The seeds are normally left in the preparation, and removed while
consuming, unless a blender is used for processing.
Health
The fruit contains significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2.
Preliminary in vitro laboratory research suggests that soursop may
have potential to treat some infections. Research carried out in the Caribbean
has suggested a connection between consumption of soursop and atypical forms of
Parkinson's disease due to
the very high concentration of annonacin.
Cancer treatment
Many sites on the internet advertise and promote soursop
capsules as a cancer cure.
According to Cancer Research UK,
"there is no evidence to show that graviola works as a cure for
cancer" and consequently they do not support its use as a treatment for
cancer. A court case relating to the sale in the UK of Triamazon, a soursop
product, resulted in convictions on four counts related to selling an
unlicensed medical product. The judge said that the drug had not been tested on
human beings, was not licenced for use in UK markets and could cause symptoms
similar to Parkinson’s Disease.
The Federal Trade Commission
in the United States determined that there was "no credible scientific
evidence" that the extract of soursop sold by Bioque Technologies
"can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind."
Toxicology
Annonacin is a neurotoxin found in soursop seeds
The compound annonacin contained in the seeds of soursop is a neurotoxin and it seems to be the cause of a neurodegenerative
disease. The only group of people known to be affected live on the Caribbean
island of Guadeloupe and the problem presumably occurs with the excessive
consumption of plants containing annonacin. The disorder is a so-called tauopathy associated with a pathologic accumulation of tau protein in the brain. Experimental results demonstrated
for the first time that the plant neurotoxin annonacin is responsible for this
accumulation.
REFERENCES
Jaramillo,
MC; Arango, GJ; González, MC; Robledo, SM; Velez, ID (2000).
"Cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of Annona
muricata pericarp". Fitoterapia
71 (2): 183–6.
Padma,
P; Pramod, NP; Thyagarajan, SP; Khosa, RL (1998). "Effect of the extract
of
Annona muricata and Petunia nyctaginiflora on Herpes
simplex virus". Journal of
Ethnopharmacology 61 (1): 81–3.
Caparros-Lefebvre,
Dominique; Elbaz, Alexis (1999). "Possible relation of atypical
parkinsonism in the French West Indies with consumption
of tropical plants: A case-control study". The Lancet 354 (9175): 281–6.
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