Literature Review

CHAPTER-II - LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION TO ANNONACEAE FAMILY
The genus name, Annona is from the Latin word anon, meaning yearly
produce, referring to the production of fruits of the various species in this genus.
Annonaceae, the custard apple family1 are a family of flowering plants consisting of
trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas2. With about 2300 to 2500 species and more than 130
genera3, Its type genus is Annona. The family is concentrated in the tropics, with few
species found in temperate regions. About 900 species are Neotropical, 450 are
Afrotropical, and the other species Indomalayan.

Under Annonaceae family 130 genera are available, out of that 7 genera are widely
available4:

Annona

Anonidium

Rolliania

Uvaria

Melodorum

Asimina

Stelechocarpus

As Annona genus is widely available in India this genus has been selected for the study

Literature Review
2.2 TYPES OF ANNONA GENUS PLANTS:
Out of varied genus 42 different species5 were found in Annona genus, some of them are

Annona glabra

- Pond apple

Annona muricata

- Soursop

Annona squamosa

- Sugar apple

Annona reticulata

- Custard apple

Annona diversitolia

- Lama

Annona purpurea

- Soncoya

Annona crassiflora

- Marolo

Annona manni

- Jungle sop

Annona montana

- Mountain soursop

Annona accuminata - Annona

Annona salzmannii

- Beach sugar apple

Annona cherimola

- Cherimoya custard apple

2.3 TRADITIONAL USAGES OF ANNONA GENUS PLANTS

The bark, leaves, and roots of some species are used in folk medicines.

The strong bark is used for carrying burdens in the Amazon Rainforest6 and for
wooden implements, such as tool handles and pegs7. The wood is valued as
firewood8, Yellow and brown dyes9.

Annona glabra

: A recent study suggest that the alcoholic seed extract

contains anti cancer compounds10.

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Annona diversitolia

: Leaf extract was posses to have antinocciceptive effect11.

Roots were found to have anticonvulsant effect12.

Annona purpurea

: In mexico the juice is used for chills and fever13.

Annona cracilflora

: Pulp was found to have mutagenic property14.

Annona accuminata : Which is mainly used as ornamental plant and it is

cultivated along with banana plantation15.

Annona salzmannii

: It is a orange skin fruit native of brazil, it is rarely

Available16.

Annona Montana

: Which is found to have In vitro, In vivo studies exhibiting

tumorogenic activity17.

Annona muricata Linn 18:

Fruit and fruit juice are taken for worms and parasites, to cool fevers, to
increase mother's milk after childbirth, as an astringent for diarrhea and
dysentery.

The crushed seeds are used against internal and external parasites, head
lice, and worms.

The bark, leaves, and roots are considered sedative, ulcer treatment,
hypotensive, and nervine, and a tea is made for various disorders towards
those effects.

Roots contains acetogenins proved to have anticarcinogenic effect by

inhibiting DNA synthesis.

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Annona squamosa Linn 19

Leaves are used to treat hysteria, fainting spells.

Leaf decoction is used in the treatment of cold, cough, intestinal infections

and acidity condition.

Bark decoction is used in diarrhea.

Roots are used in dysentery.

Fruit is used in making of ice creams and milk beverages.

Annona reticulata Linn 20:

Crushed leaves/paste is used in internal and external wounds and boils,

leaf decoction is used in gastritis.

Leaf juice is used as vermifuge.

Unripe dried fruits used in diarrhoea and dyssentry treatment.

Root bark is used in tooth ache.

Seeds, leaves, young fruits have got insecticidal activity.

Annona cherimola Linn21:

Seeds are used in folk for their insecticidal activity, parasitic activity.

Roots are reported to have apomorphine alkaloids: Reomerine, Annonine

and Dehydro reomerine produce skeletal muscle relaxant effect.

Yellow resin extracted from seeds exhibits sympathetic action such as

dilatation of pupil, dryness of mouth, decreases secretions.

From the folklore usages three plants of Annonacea family, Annona genus- Annona
squamosa Linn, Annona reticulata Linn, Annona muricata Linn were selected. Leaf parts
of these plants were taken for the study.
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Literature Review
2.4

TAXONOMICAL

CHARACTERISATION

AND

DESCRIPTION

OF

SELECTED PLANTS22
In various

indigenous and traditional sources

of medicinal plants have been

extensively used for treatments. Various parts of plants such as the leaves, fruits, the
barks, roots and even the seeds are being used for preparation of medicines. Annona
squamosa Linn is also been extensively used as traditional medicine in various culture.
Taxonomical characterisation of Annona squamosa Linn
Kingdom

: Plantae

Order

: Magnoliales

Family

: Annonaceae

Genus

: Annona

Species

: Squamosa

Vernacular names23:
English

: Custard apple, sugar- apple, sweetsop

Hindi

: Sitafal

Telugu

: Seethaphalam

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Literature Review
Description: Annona squamosa a small well-branched tree or shrub that bears edible
fruits

called sugar-apples,

species

of

the

genus Annona and

member

of

the

family Annonaceae more willing to grow at lower altitudes than its relatives Annona
reticulata and Annona cherimola.
Taxonomical characterisation of Annona reticulataLinn24
Kingdom

: Plantae

Order

: Magnoliales

Family

: Annonaceae

Genus

: Annona

Species

: Reticulata

Vernacular names:
English

: Custard apple, wild sweet sop

Hindi

: Ramaphal

Telugu

: Ramaphalamu
The Custard Apple is an erect tree with a spreading crown and 10 to 14 in (25-35

cm) thick trunk. The leaves are deciduous, alternate, oblong or narrow-lanceolate with
visible veins and have a bad smell. The flowers that never fully open, appear in drooping
clusters and they are fragrant and slender, with 3 outer fleshy, narrow petals, light-green
externally and pale-yellow with a dark-red or purple spot on the inside at the base25.

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Literature Review
Taxonomical characterisation of Annona muricata Linn26
Kingdom

: Plantae

Order

: Magnoliales

Family

: Annonaceae

Genus

: Annona

Species

: Muricata

Vernacular names:
English

: Sour sop, prickly custard apple

Hindi

: Laxmanphal

Telugu

: Laxmanaphalamu

Soursop trees are bushy and low, only about 7.5-9 m tall. Young branchlets are rustyhairy. The smooth, glossy, dark green leaves are oblong to elliptical and pointed at both
ends, 6.25-20 x 2.5-6.25 cm wide. The underside of the leaves is somewhat lighter than
the top. Solitary flowers emerge anywhere on the trunk, branches or twigs.

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Literature Review
Fig 2.01 Picture of Annona squamosa Linn

Fig :2.02 Picture of Annona reticulata Linn

Fig: 2.03 Picture of Annona muricata Linn

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Literature Review
2.5 A BRIEF LITERATURE REVIEW OF SELECTED PLANTS.
Annona squamosa Linn
1)

Patel D Jayshree has isolated different chemical constituents like Borneol,

Camphene, Camphor, car-3-ene, Carvone, - Caryphyllene, Eugenol, Farnesol,
Geraniol, 16- Hetriacontanone, Hexacontanol, Higemamine, Isocorydine,
Limonine from stems, root extracts of Annona squamosa Linn27.

2)

The volatile constituents of Annona squamosa Linn bark were identified from the
essential oil obtained by the steam distillation and studied by GC/MS28.

3)

Chloroform extract of the plant A.squamosa Linn contain an active constituents

Annotemoyin29.

4)

Flavonoids isolated from aqueous extract of Annona squamosa Linn has been
showed antimicrobial activity. Bullatacin is one such compound that possessed
antitumoral and pesticidal activity30.

5)

In

another study two major alkaloids have been isolated. The name of the

compounds are liriodenine and oxoanalobine both of the compound belong to the
group of oxoaporphines and were identified by their spectra. The compounds
were isolated from the root extract of the plant31.
6)

Ranjan Rakesh & Sahai Mahendra: Isolation of about 30 Acetogenins from the
seeds of A.squamosa Linn eg: Squamocins B to N, Coumarinoligans.
Annotemoyin-1, Annotemoyin-2, squamocin & cholesteryl, glucopyranoside are
isolated from the seeds of A.squamosa Linn. These compounds showed
remarkable antimicrobial & cytotoxic activities32.

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Literature Review
7)

Lieb F, Nonfon M, Neumann V W and Wendisch D isolated Acetogenines

known as Annonacin, Annonacin A Annonastatin, Squamocin, Squamocin-O1,
Squamocin-O2, from seeds, stem bark of Annona squamosa33.

8)

Zheng C C V, Yang R Z, Qin G W, Yu R S isolated Entkaurane diterpenoids

Annomosin

Annosquamosins

Annosquamosin E Annosquamosin F

Annosquamo

Annosquamosin

Annosquamosin G from stems of

Annona squamosa Linn34.

9)

Li X H, Hui Y H, Rupprecht J K, Liu Y M, Wood K V, Sha D L, Chang isolated

different Bullatacin Bullatacinone form stem bark of Annona squmosa Linn35 .

10) Zheng C C V, Yang R Z, Qin G W, Yu R S: Isolated different constituents

Annonin I Annonin VI from various parts of Annona squamosa Linn36 .
11) Yang R Z, Zheng X C, Quin G W Isolated different parts of \Annotemoyin-1
Annotemoyin-2 from seeds of Annona squamosa Linn 37.
Pharmacological reviews:
1) Raj Sobiya D, Vennila Jannet J, Aiyavu C, Panneer selvam, Bullatacin is one such
compound that possessed antitumoral activity In vitro. The Ethanolic extract of
leaves and stem is reported to have anticancer activity38.
2) MujeebMohd , Khan Shah Alam, Ali Mohd, Mall Abhishek, and Ahmad Aftab
has detected the antidiabetic activity of A squamosa Linn root extract in STZ
induced hyperglycemia in rats39.

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Literature Review
3) Gupta R K, Kesari A N, Murthy P S, Chandra R, Tandon V, Watal G tested the
Ethanolic extract of Annona squamosa Linn leaves posses considerable
hypoglycemic activity in normal rats40.
4) Suresh K, Manoharn S, Blessy D tested antigenotoxic effect of aqueous and
Ethanolic bark extracts of Annona squamosa Linn was assessed by determining
the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes ( MnPCEs) and
chromosomal aberrations. Ethanolic extract was found to be more prominent than
the aqueous extract41.
5) Singh Sanjiv, Manvi F V, Nanjwade Basavraj, Nemakumar Rajesh,

studied

antihyperlipidemic Activity of Polyherbal formulation of Annona squamosa Linn

on blood glucose, plasma insulin, tissue lipid profile, and lipidperoxidation in
streptozotocin induced diabetic rats42.
6) Three known Aporphine alkaloids were isolated from bark. Structures of
compounds were identified as N- Nitrosoxylopine, Roemerolidine

and

Duguevalline. The compounds were subjected for the screening of antimalarial

activity43.
7) Study carried out on Annona squamosa Linn have revealed that the plant posses
antihyperglycemic effect in the male albino rats in which diabeties was induced
by streptozocin44.
8) The defatted seed of Annona squamosa Linn was screened for the In vivo
antitumor activity. Aqueous extracts of A. squamosa seeds possessed significant
antitumor activity than organic extract against AK-5 tumor45 .

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Literature Review
Annona reticulata Linn :
1) The leaves are used as insecticides, anthelmintic, styptic and are also used
externally as supparant, can used to treat as anti liceing agent46 .
2) Tea made from roots is used to treat fevers47.
3) The bark as a powerful astringent is used as antidysentric and vermifuge. Root
bark, leaves and stem possess isoquinoline alkaloids 48.
4) Suresh H.B, investigated the In vitro antiproliferative activity of Ethanol extract
of roots againstA-549, k- 562, He La and MDA-MB human cancer cell lines 49.
Annona muricata Linn :
Phytochemical review:
1) From the Ethanolic extracts of seed a compound known as cyclohexapeptideannomuricatin C has been isolated50.
2) From the alcoholic extracts of seed a compound known as cyclopeptideannomuricatin B has been isolated 51.
3) Form the root Methanolic extract of A.muricata two acetogenins of cohibins A
and B characterized by tendem mass spectrometry52.
4) Cyclic hexapeptide-Annomuricatin A was isolated from the Ethanolic extract of
seed of A.muricata and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis53.
5) Esters were found to be the dominant compounds regardless of the soursops
origin, with methyl (E)-2-hexenoate, methyl (E)-2- butenoate, methyl butanoate
and methyl hexanoate being the four principal compounds. There are different

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Literature Review
methods that have been employed for the flavour compounds analysis, among
which the most common methods are solvent and steam distillation extraction54.
Pharmacological review:
1) The wound healing activity of alcoholic extracts of stem and bark of Annona
muricata Linn was found to show the marked reduction in area of the wound
which was tested in the albino rats which proves their possible use in wound
healing.55
2) The antibacterial effect of the methanolic and aqueous extract of the leaves of
Annona muricata was tested against various bacterial strains was found to be the
most susceptible Gram-negative bacteria55.
3) Annona muricata extract was screened against Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1)
and clinical isolate (obtained from the human keratitis lesion) The minimum
inhibitory concentration of methanolic extract of A. muricata was found to be
1mg/ml which shows that the A. muricata could be used as the potential
antiherptic drugs 56.
4) When the Hexane, Ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Annona muricata Linn
pericarp were tested In vitro against Leishmania braziliensis and L. panamensis
promastigotes and also against the cell line U 937, Ethyl acetate extract was found
to be more active than Glucantime , which was used as the reference substance of
other extracts57.

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Literature Review
2.6. REFERENCES :
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Dr. Richard Wunderlin, Dr. Bruce Hansen. "Synonyms of Annona squamosa".

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Jonathan H. Crane, Carlos F. Balerdi, and Ian Maguire. "Sugar Apple Growing in
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