Annona squamosa
Custard-apple
Annona squamosa, commonly known as sugar apple or custard apple, is a tropical fruit-bearing tree prized for its sweet, creamy pulp. Beyond its culinary appeal, this plant holds significant medicinal value in traditional systems, offering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties used to treat various ailments and promote overall wellness.
- Scientific name: Annona squamosa
- Family: Annonaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Magnoliales, it is a member of the family Annonaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Annona.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Magnoliales | WCVP |
| Family | Annonaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Annona | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Annona squamosa, is referred to by several different common names depending on the language and region. In nan, it is called Sek-khia, while in Chinese, it is identified as 番荔枝 (zh-hans), 釋迦 (zh-hant), 番荔枝 (zh-hk), and 番荔枝 (zh-cn).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| nan | Sek-khia | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 番荔枝 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 釋迦 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 番荔枝 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 番荔枝 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 番荔枝 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 番荔枝 | Wikidata |
| map-bms | Srikaya | Wikidata |
| jv | Srikaya | Wikidata |
| pam | Anatis | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant, known as Annona squamosa, exhibits a specific distribution across several distinct regions. In the Macaronesian archipelago, it can be found growing in Cape Verde. Its presence is also well-documented throughout various parts of West Tropical Africa. Specifically, it inhabits the territories of Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea. Furthermore, the species is widely distributed within the nation of Senegal.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Macaronesia | Cape Verde | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Central African Republic | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Rwanda | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Eritrea | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as sugar apple, utilizes various components for medicinal purposes. The leaves are frequently prepared as decoctions to treat ailments such as inflammation and fever, while the individual leaf extracts are often studied for their bioactive properties. The stem bark is also significant in traditional practices, often used in similar ways to the bark itself to address different health concerns. Furthermore, the seed contains potent compounds that are utilized in specific medicinal applications, demonstrating how almost every part of the plant holds therapeutic potential.- Total parts
- 14
- Scientific sources
- 27
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| bark | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| seed | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| stem bark | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seeds | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Leaves | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| twigs | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem barks | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed oil | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Annona squamosa has 54 reported phytochemicals identified across 72 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include acetone, ethyl acetate, methanol, hexane, annosquamosin A.
- Total chemicals
- 54
- Scientific sources
- 72
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| acetone | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| ethyl acetate | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| methanol | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| hexane | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| annosquamosin A | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| annosquamosin B | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anonaine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| liriodenine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Annona squamosa has 20 reported activities identified across 30 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Antibacterial, Anticancer.
- Total activities
- 20
- Scientific sources
- 30
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anthelmintic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimalarial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Insecticide | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Abortifacient | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Annona squamosa has 40 reported medicinal uses identified across 47 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Plasmodium falciparum, antidiabetic, cancer, dysentery, malaria.
- Total uses
- 40
- Scientific sources
- 47
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Plasmodium falciparum | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antidiabetic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dysentery | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| mental disorders | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| peptic ulcers | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gram-negative bacteria | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gram-positive bacteria | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| HCov 229E | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |