Graviola

Synonyms: Annona macrocarpa, A. bonplandiana, A. cearensis, Guanabanus muricatus¹

http://www.brasilien.de/land/florafauna/fruechte/graviola.asp

Description

Folklore

Activity

Toxicity

Products

References

Description

Graviola is a small, upright evergreen tree, 5–6 m high, with dark green leaves that produces a yellow-green edible fruit about 15–20 cm in diameter. Graviola grows naturally in most of the warmest tropical areas in South and North America, including the Amazon¹.

Folklore

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 tree¹:

· fruit and fruit juice - worms and parasites, fevers, astringent for diarrhea and dysentery

· crushed seeds - internal and external parasites, head lice, and worms

· The bark, leaves, and roots - sedative, antispasmodic, hypotensive

Activity

Many active compounds and chemicals have been found in graviola. Most research focuses on chemicals produced in the leaf and stem, bark, and fruit seeds called Annonaceous acetogenins. Three separate studies have confirmed that these chemicals have significant antitumorous properties and selective toxicity against various types of cancer cells. Many of the acetogenins have demonstrated selective toxicity to tumor cells at very low dosages (1 part per million)¹.

Studies have been published explaining the ability of acetogenins in graviola to display anticancerous, antitumorous, and antiviral properties via the same mechanisms as purple lapacho (inhibition of oxdative phosphylation and preventing ATP formation in cells)^{1,
2, 3, 4}.

Other constituents including kaempferol and isokaempferide have been shown to inhibit tumour lines in vitro³.

Annonacin is able to arrest the cell cycle in the G1 phase, and inhibit the S phase progression. In addition p53 and p21, cell cycle checkpoint proteins, were enhanced by annonacin. The acetogenin annonacin is able to induce apoptotic cell death⁴.

Toxicity

Graviola can slow the heart or reduce blood pressure and acts as a vasodilator. Large dosages can cause nausea and vomiting. Compounds which enhance the action of ATP such as CoQ10 should be avoided¹. One constituent of the bark, protocatechuic acid, has been shown induce hemolysis of red blood cells in mice³.

Products

The following products in the Cansema® range contain graviola:

Cansema® Salve – Original Formula

Cansema® Salve – Deep Tissue Formula

Cansema® Salve – with Iodine

Cansema® Tonic III

Cansupport®

References:

Anonymous (2004). Raintree Nutrition Tropical Plant Database: Graviola [online]. Available http://www.rain-tree.com/graviola.htm (08/10/2004)

Searched: Google http://www.google.com

Keywords: graviola

Graham JG, Quinn ML, Fabricant DS, Farnsworth NR. Plants used against cancer – an extension of the work of Jonathan Hartwell. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 73(3):347-77 (2000)

Searched: Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com

Keywords: “Annona macrocarpa”

Limits: Title OR Abstract OR Keywords in ALL Journals

Costa-Lotufo LV, Jimenez PC, Wilke DV, Leal LK, Cunha GM, Silveira ER, Canuto KM, Viana GS, Moraes ME, de Moraes MO, Pessoa C. Antiproliferative effects of several compounds isolated from Amburana cearensis. Journal of Biosciences. 58(9-10):675-80 (2003)

Searched: Pubmed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

Keywords: “Amburana cearensis”

Limits: English, Medline, Title

Yuan, Shyng-Shiou F., et al. “Annonacin, a mono-tetrahydrofuran acetogenin, arrests cancer cells at the G1 phase and causes cytotoxicity in a Bax- and caspase-3-related pathway.” Life Sciences 2003; 72: 2853-2861

Searched: Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com

Keywords: annonacin acetogenin cytotoxic

Limits: Title in ALL Journals