Plant Story

Graviola (Annona muricata) is an evergreen tree with large, glossy, dark green leaves native to the tropical regions of the Americas and the Caribbean. Traditionally, its leaves were widely used as a medicine to treat diabetes, headaches, insomnia, ulcers, asthma, cough, fever, and skin rashes. The decoction of leaves was used against rheumatism and the cooked leaves were topically used to treat abscesses. The leaves are also used in the bath to cure skin diseases in the Caribbean islands and in the South Pacific countries.

 

Phytochemical studies on graviola leaves identified various compounds including annonaceous acetogenin compounds (annonacin, annomuricins, and muricatocins), phenolic compounds (quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, and rutin), and alkaloids (annonaine, isolaureline, and xylopine). It was also shown that the graviola leaf extracts contain various flavonoids including luteolin, homoorientin, and tangeretin. Many studies demonstrated anti-inflammation and anti-oxidant activities of graviola leaves. The leaf extract inhibited TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nitric oxide which are inflammatory mediators. The leaf extract also shows anti-oxidant activities by scavenging free radicals and DNA protection effect against H2O2-induced DNA damage.