Name: ATIS

Scientific Name: Anona squamosa Linn.

Common Names
Ates (Tag.)
Atis (Tag.)
Yates (Tag.)
Sugar apple (Engl.)
Sweetsop (Engl.)
Definition
Atis is a small tree, 3 to 5 meters high. Leaves are hairy when young, oblong,
8 to 15 cm long, with a petiole 1 to 1.5 cm long. Flowers occur singly in the axils of
the leaves, about 2.5 cm long, pendulous, three-angled, light green to yellow. Fruit
is large, slightly heart-shaped, 6 to 9 cm long, the outside with knobby polygonal
tubercles. When ripe, the fruit is light yellowish-green, with a white, sweet soft,
delicious and juicy flesh.
Chemical properties and constituents
The leaves yield an alkaloid, chloroplatinate.
Anonaine, an alkaloid, is found in the bark, leaves and seeds.
Seed yields an alkaloid, neurtral resin, fixed oil.
Seed contains yellow, non-drying oil and an irritant which kills lice.
The leaves, fruit and seeds are vermicidal and insecticidal.
The unripe fruit is astringent, used for diarrhea and dysentery and dyspepsia.
The bark is astringent and tonic.
Roots make a drastic purgative.
Leaves are emmenagogue, febrifuge, tonic
Insecticide, antiovulatory, abortifacient.
Parts utilized
Leaves, fruit and seeds
Uses
Folkloric
Salted bruised leaves used to hasten suppuration.
Bark decoction is used as tonic and to stop diarrhea.
Root has purgative action.
Leaf decoction used for rheumatic baths to alleviate pain.
For fainting and hysteria, crush fresh leaves and place over nose.
For infected insect bites, pound and extract the juice from one unripe fruit
and apply the juice directly to the affected areas, 3 times daily.
For lice infestation of the head, atis has a herbal treatment regimen:
(1) Shampoo hair with gugo bark or any commercial shampoo daily for one
week; with "suyod" combing twice daily.
(2) For lice eggs (nits), apply hot vinegar for half an hour after shampooing;
then "suyod" (fine combing) thoroughly.
(3) Bedtime, pound 1/2 cup of atis seeds and mix with 1/4 cup of oil. Apply

mixture thoroughly to the scalp and hair. Wrap the hair and head overnight.
Shampoo in the morning and follow with fine tooth combing. Do daily for 3-5
days.
(4) Paste of the crushed seeds in water, applied to the scalp. The same used
as abortifacient applied to the os uteri.
In Northern India, young leaves used for diabetes.
In Malaysia, used for skin infections, diarrhea, dysentery and UTIs.

Nutrition
Eaten raw or makes a delicious ice cream.
The fermented fruit used to make cider.
Others
The blackened aborted atis fruit is a preferred by some healers as an
ingredient in the making of the "unton," used for bales.
Studies
Anti-Inflammatory / Cyclic Peptides: Study yielded two new cyclic
peptides, cyclosquamosin H and I, together with six known cyclic peptides,
squamin A, squamin B, cyclosquamosin A, D E and cherimolacyclopeptide B
from the seeds. Compound 7 showed an inhibitory effect on the production of
pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Cytotoxicity / Anticancer: (1) Extracts of A squamosa fruit pericarp was
tested for cytotoxic activity against Dalton's lymphoma cells and HeLa cells.
The chloroform extract was found cytotoxic to the different cell lines tested
and suggests the potential for AS fruit pericarp for the development of
treatment for cancers.
Antidiabetic: (1) Beneficial effects of Annona squamosa extract in
streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: Study results showed that A. squamosa
extract has an antihyperglycemic effect and alleviated liver and renal
damage associated with STZ-induced diabetes mellitus in rats. (2) Study of
aqueous leaf extracts were investiaged on STZ-nicotinamide induced diabetic
rats. The diabetic groups treated with aqueous leaf extract were compared
with standard glibenclamide.
Anticancer / Squadiolins: Mono-tetrahydrofuran Annonaceous Acetogenins
from Annona squamosa as Cytotoxic Agents and Calcium Ion Chelators:
Squadiolins A and B showerd potency against human Hep G2 and 3B
hepatoma and MCF-y breast cancer cells.
Hepatoprotective: Study on diethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury in Swiss
albino mice showed hepatoprotective effect, with improvement in
biochemical parameters and confirmation by histopathological studies.
Antibacterial: Study screened the ethanol crude extract of the fruit of A
squamosa for antimicrobial activity against some pathogenic
microorganisms. It showed inhibitory activity against S aureus and S
pneumoniae. Results conclude the plant extract may serve as a valuable
source of compounds with therapeutic antibiotic potentials.
Antithyroid Activity / Quercetin: Extract of the seeds of A squamosa was
evaluated for it ameliorative effect in the regulation of hyperthyroidism in a
mouse model. Phytochemical study revealed the presence of quercetin in the

seed extract and the results of the effects of quercetin suggest an

involvement of this phytochemical in the mediation of antithyroidal activity of
A squamosa seed extract.
Antigenotoxic Activity: Study showed both aqueous and ethanolic bark
extracts of A squamosa showed antigenotoxic effect. The bark extract
demonstrated more prominent antigenotoxic effect in DBMA induced
genotoxicity in Syrian hamsters.
Antiplasmodial Activity: Methanolic extract of Annona squamosa leaves
showed high antiplasmodial activity. Preliminary studies yielded terpenoids
and traces of phenolic principles with no alkaloids, tannins or flavonoids.
Molluscicidal Activity: Study on molluscicidal activity of leaves, bark and
seed of Annona squamosa against snail Lymnaea acuminata was studied.
Highest activity was observed in the seed extracts. The acetogenins from the
seed were more toxic than synthetic pesticides.
Anti-Head Lice Activity: Study identified the active compounds against
head lice from the hexane extract of Annona squamosa seeds. The two major
compounds were oleic acid and triglyceride with one oleate ester. The
triglyceride with one oleate ester and the crude hexane extract diluted with
coconut oil 1:1 were found to kill all tested head lice.
Lipoxygenase Inhibition: Study yielded from the seeds a novel
lipoxygenase inhibitor fatty acid ester, (+) - annonlipoxy, which showed
enzyme inhibitory activity against lipoxygenase. The crude ethanolic extract
of fruit pulp and seeds of AS also exhibited lipoxygenase inhibition.

Availability
o Wild-crafted.
o Small or large scale cultivation for fruit produces.