Soursop

Soursop(also calledgraviola,guyabano, and inLatin Americaguanábana) is the fruit ofAnnona muricata, a broadleaf, flowering,evergreentree.It is native to thetropicalregions of theAmericasand theCaribbeanand is widely propagated.It is in the same genus,Annona, ascherimoyaand is in theAnnonaceaefamily.
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.
With an aroma similar topineapple,the flavor of the fruit has been described as a combination of strawberries and apple with sourcitrusflavor notes, contrasting with an underlying thick creamy texture reminiscent ofbanana.
Soursop is widely promoted (sometimes as graviola) as analternative cancer treatment, but there is no reliablemedical evidencethat it is effective for treating cancer or any disease.
Annona muricatais a species of the genusAnnonaof thecustard appletree family,Annonaceae, which has edible fruit.The fruit is usually called soursop due to its slightly acidic taste when ripe.Annona muricatais native to theCaribbeanandCentral Americabut is now widely cultivated – and in some areas, becominginvasive– in tropical and subtropical climates throughout the world, such asIndia.
TheA. muricatafruit is generally calledguanábanain Hispanic America, and the tree is aguanábano.
Annona muricatais also the main host plant fortailed jay(Graphium agamemnon) caterpillars. They eat the leaves voraciously and usually stick under the leaves to pupate.
Annona muricatais a small, upright,evergreentree that can grow to about 30 feet (9.1 m) tall.
Its young branches arehairy.Leaves are oblong to oval, 8 centimetres (3.1 in) to 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long and 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 7 centimetres (2.8 in) wide.  They are a glossy dark green with no hairs above, and paler and minutely hairy to no hairs below.The leaf stalks are 4 millimetres (0.16 in) to 13 millimetres (0.51 in) long and without hairs.
Flower stalks (peduncles) are 2 millimetres (0.079 in) to 5 millimetres (0.20 in) long and woody. They appear opposite from the leaves or as an extra from near the leaf stalk, each with one or two flowers, occasionally a third.Stalks for the individual flowers (pedicels) are stout and woody, minutely hairy to hairless and 15 millimetres (0.59 in) to 20 millimetres (0.79 in) with small bractlets nearer to the base which are densely hairy.
The petals are thick and yellowish.  Outer petals meet at the edges without overlapping and are broadly ovate, 2.8 centimetres (1.1 in) to 3.3 centimetres (1.3 in) by 2.1 centimetres (0.83 in) to 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in), tapering to a point with a heart shaped base. They are evenly thick, and are covered with long, slender, soft hairs externally and matted finely with soft hairs within.  Inner petals are oval shaped and overlap. They measure roughly 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) to 2.8 centimetres (1.1 in) by 2 centimetres (0.79 in), and are sharply angled and tapering at the base.  Margins are comparatively thin, with fine matted soft hairs on both sides. The receptacle is conical and hairy. The stamens are 4.5 millimetres (0.18 in) long and narrowly wedge-shaped. The connective-tip terminate abruptly and anther hollows are unequal. Sepals are quite thick and do not overlap. Carpels are linear and basally growing from one base. The ovaries are covered with dense reddish brown hairs, 1-ovuled, style short and stigma truncate.Its pollen is shed as permanent tetrads.
The fruits are oval, dark green when immature, with a leathery, inedible skin that turns yellow-green during maturity.They can be up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long, ( individuals up to fifteen inches (35 centimeters) have been reported)with a moderately firm texture, and may weigh 15 lb (6.8 kg).Their flesh is juicy, acidic, whitish, and aromatic somewhat like pineapple, although with a unique earthy aroma.Most of the immature segments are seedless, whereas mature fruit may contain as many as 200 seeds.
Annona muricatais tolerant of poor soiland prefers lowland areas between the altitudes of 0 to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft).  It cannot stand frost.The exact origin is unknown; it is native to thetropicalregions of theAmericasand is widely propagated.It is an introduced species on all temperate continents, especially insubtropicalregions.
The plant is grown for its 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) long, prickly, greenfruit, which can have a mass of up to 6.8 kg (15 lb),making it probably the second biggest annona after thejunglesop. Away from its native area, some limited production occurs as far north as southernFloridawithinUSDA Zone10; however, these are mostly garden plantings for local consumption. It is also grown in parts ofChinaandSoutheast Asiaand is abundant on the Island ofMauritius.  The main suppliers of the fruit are Mexico followed by Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Haiti.To aid soursop breeders and stimulate further development of genomic resources for this globally important plant family, the complete genome forAnnona muricatawas sequenced in 2021.
The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible, whitepulp, some fiber, and a core of indigestible black seeds. The pulp is also used to make fruit nectar, smoothies, fruit juice drinks, as well as candies,sorbets, and ice cream flavorings.Due to the fruit's widespread cultivation, its derivative products are consumed in many countries, such asJamaica,Mexico,Brazil,Venezuela,Colombia,andFiji.The seeds are normally left in the preparation, and removed while consuming, unless a blender is used for processing.
Soursop is also a common ingredient for making fresh fruit juices that are sold by street food vendors. InIndonesia, the fruit is commonly calledsirsakand sometimes made intododolsirsak, asweetwhich is made by boiling the soursop pulp in water and adding sugar until the mixture caramelizes and hardens. In thePhilippines, it is calledguyabano, derived from the Spanishguanábana, and is eaten ripe, or used to make juices, smoothies, or ice cream. Sometimes, the leaf is used in tenderizing meat. InVietnam, this fruit is calledmãng cầu Xiêm(Siamesesoursop) in the south, ormãng cầu(soursop) in the north, and is used to makesmoothies, or eaten as is. InCambodia, this fruit is calledtearb barung, literally "western custard-apple fruit". In Malaysia, it is known inMalayasdurian belanda("Dutchdurian") and inEast Malaysia, specifically among theDusunpeople ofSabah, it is locally known aslampun. Popularly, it is eaten raw when it ripens, or used as one of the ingredients inais kacangorais batu campur. Usually the fruits are taken from the tree when they mature and left to ripen in a dark corner, whereafter they will be eaten when they are fully ripe. It has a white flower with a very pleasing scent, especially in the morning. While for people in Brunei Darussalam this fruit is popularly known as "durian salat", widely available and easily planted.
Soursop leaves are sold and consumed in Indonesia as herbal medicine. The leaves are usually boiled to make tea.
Raw soursop is 81% water, 17%carbohydrates, 1%protein, and has negligiblefat(see table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), the raw fruit supplies 276 kilojoules (66 kilocalories) offood energy, and contains onlyvitamin Cas a significant amount (23%) of theDaily Value, with no othermicronutrientsin appreciable amounts (table).
The compoundannonacinis contained in the fruit, seeds, and leaves of soursop.The leaves ofAnnona muricatacontainannonamine, which is anaporphine-classalkaloidcontaining aquaternary ammoniumgroup.The plant also containslichexanthone, a compound in thexanthoneclass.
TheMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centercautions, "alkaloids extracted from graviola may cause neuronal dysfunction".Annonacin has been shown in laboratory research to beneurotoxic.In 2010, the French food safety agency,Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des produits de santé, concluded that "it is not possible to confirm that the observed cases of atypical Parkinson syndrome ... are linked to the consumption ofAnnona muricata".
In 2008, theFederal Trade Commissionin the United States stated that use of soursop to treat cancer was "bogus", and there was "no credible scientific evidence" that the extract of soursop sold by Bioque Technologies "can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind."Also in 2008, a UK court case relating to the sale of Triamazon, a soursop product, resulted in the criminal conviction of a man under the terms of theUK Cancer Actfor offering to treat people for cancer. A spokesman for the council that instigated the action stated, "it is as important now as it ever was that people are protected from those peddling unproven products with spurious claims as to their effects."
TheMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterandCancer Research UKstate that cancer treatment using soursop is not supported byreliable clinical evidence.According to Cancer Research UK, "Many sites on the internet advertise and promote graviola capsules as a cancer cure, but none of them are supported by any reputable scientific cancer organizations" and "there is no evidence to show that graviola works as a cure for cancer".