soursop

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Annona muricata var. borinquensis
• Annona muricata f. mirabilis
• Annona bonplandiana
• Annona cearaensis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Annona muricata, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae within the order Magnoliaales. Finally, it is a member of the family Annonaceae and falls under the genus Annona.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Annona muricata, exhibits a specific geographical distribution across the West Tropical Africa region. Its presence is documented in the nation of Benin, where it thrives in local ecosystems. The species can also be found spanning across Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Furthermore, it is distributed throughout the territory of Guinea. Finally, its range extends northward to include Mauritania.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Annona muricata is characterized by its adaptation to diverse tropical environments, thriving across a broad altitudinal gradient. It is found within an elevational range that extends from 0 m AMSL to a maximum of 2000 m AMSL. This wide vertical distribution allows the species to inhabit various ecological niches, ranging from lowland coastal regions and humid rainforests to higher-altitude montane forests. The plant typically flourishes in warm, humid climates with significant rainfall and well-drained, fertile soils, playing a functional role in its ecosystem through its contribution to canopy structure and its reliance on specific pollinators and seed dispersers within these varying elevations.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Annona muricata is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring a long-term presence within its native tropical ecosystems. As a phanerophyte, it maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated woody branches, a growth form that allows it to compete effectively for sunlight in forest environments. This phanerophyte life strategy is further supported by its evergreen nature, as the plant retains its foliage throughout the year rather than undergoing seasonal shedding. Through these combined biological traits, the species maintains a stable and continuous life cycle, providing a constant structural presence in its habitat.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Annona muricata is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically existing as a tree. It is a terrestrial plant that functions as an independent organism, lacking any parasitic or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of its structural dimensions, the plant typically reaches a height ranging from a minimum of 7.5 m to a maximum of 9 m, with an average plant height of approximately 7.03 m. Furthermore, its physical habit is categorized as self-supporting, meaning it does not require external structures for climbing or support.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

9 m

Plant height mean:

7.03333333333333 m

Plant height min:

7.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Annona muricata is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The foliage exhibits significant morphological variability in size, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 5 cm to a mean of 11.5 cm, reaching a maximum of 20 cm. Correspondingly, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 2 cm and a maximum of 7 cm. In terms of water storage and specialized tissue adaptations, the plant does not exhibit succulence, maintaining standard leaf hydration strategies. Furthermore, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on external soil nutrient availability to support its metabolic requirements and growth.

Leaf length max:

20 cm

Leaf length mean:

11.5 cm

Leaf length min:

5 cm

Leaf width max:

7 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Annona muricata is driven by a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically involving insects such as beetles, which interact with its green-colored flowers. Following successful pollination, the plant develops large, fleshy fruits that can reach a maximum length of 30 cm and a maximum width of 15 cm. Within these fleshy fruits, the seeds are produced with a mean mass of 0.396 g (ranging from a minimum of 0.322 g to a maximum of 0.47 g). The seeds themselves exhibit specific morphological dimensions, with lengths ranging from 13 mm to 17 mm and widths between 9 mm and 10 mm, resulting in a consistent seed volume of 440 mm³. The dispersal of the species is characterized by an anthropochorous syndrome, where human activity plays a role in the movement of its reproductive units.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

green

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

30 cm

Fruit width max:

15 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

beetle

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed length max:

17 mm

Seed length min:

13 mm

Seed mass max:

0.47 g

Seed mass mean:

0.396 g

Seed mass min:

0.322 g

Seed volume max:

440 mm³

Seed width max:

10 mm

Seed width min:

9 mm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Annona muricata has 6 reported plant parts identified across 44 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, seed, fruit, stem, flower.

Leaf

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Natural product research
4. Phytochemistry
5. Food & function

Seed

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Journal of Asian natural products research
3. Planta medica
4. SpringerPlus
5. Journal of natural products

Fruit

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Heliyon
3. Journal of food biochemistry
4. Toxicology reports
5. Integrative cancer therapies

Stem

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Natural product research
3. Integrative cancer therapies
4. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine

Flower

1. Natural product research
2. Archives of physiology and biochemistry

Root

1. Natural product research
2. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Annona muricata has 163 reported phytochemicals identified across 44 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include ACETOGENINS, Flavonoids, Annonacin, Phenols, RUTIN.

ACETOGENINS

1. Planta medica
2. Cancers
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Current topics in medicinal chemistry
5. Toxicology reports

Flavonoids

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. Biotechnologia
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. The Libyan journal of medicine
5. Acta pharmaceutica (Zagreb, Croatia)

Annonacin

1. Journal of natural products
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Fitoterapia
4. Phytochemistry

Phenols

1. Cancers
2. Biotechnologia
3. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
4. The Libyan journal of medicine

RUTIN

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. Nutrients
3. Inflammopharmacology
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

quercetin

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. Current topics in medicinal chemistry
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Nutrients

Annonaceous Acetogenins

1. Nutrients
2. Scientific reports
3. The Libyan journal of medicine

Anonaine

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry
2. Toxicology reports
3. Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders

Reticuline

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Toxicology reports

isolaureline

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry
2. Toxicology reports
3. Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders

Activities

Annona muricata has 497 reported activities identified across 44 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antitumor.

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. SpringerPlus
4. Journal of medicinal food
5. Scientific reports

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Journal of dietary supplements
4. Heliyon
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Life (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Nutrients

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biotechnologia
3. Journal of medicinal food
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of dietary supplements
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Frontiers in chemistry

Anxiolytic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. SpringerPlus
3. Journal of natural products
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antiulcer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Hypoglycemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of medicinal food
3. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Medicinal Uses

Annona muricata has 82 reported medicinal uses identified across 44 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, breast cancer, malaria, hypertension, Leishmania braziliensis.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations