Is there annonacin in Cherimoya flesh?

[simon_grow]

I've read a lot of the older topics on other forums regarding annonacin in fruit from the Annona family.  Has there been any new research that indicates whether its safe to eat Cherimoya or not?  Some of the studies showed the mechanism of annonacin on rat brain tissue but we eat the flesh of cherimoya which gets partially broken down by enzymes in our saliva and then it reaches our stomach which is strongly acidic.  Our bodies then have its own mechanisms for removing toxins.  I absolutely love cherimoyas and want to know whether its safe for me and my family to eat or not. 

If we can only get a blood tests of people that regularly eat Cherimoyas when they are in season to know whether or not our bodies are capable of neutralizing or completely eliminating the annonacin. 

Some people have discussed that the annonacin may be neutralized by sugar?

On the other end of the spectrum, annonacin is supposed to be used as a treatment against certain types of cancer.  For me personally, I will continue to eat Cherimoya in moderation untill there is definitive evidence that proves that Cherimoya flesh has annonacin and that our bodies cannot neutralize or somehow detoxify the annonacin.  I love grilled meats and know that the grill marks are carcinogenic but I still eat grilled foods in moderation.
Simon

[Guanabanus]

I would expect to find this compound mainly in the seeds, twigs, and leaves, not in the pulp.  Medicinal uses of the Annonaceae are usually teas or extracts from the leaves or twigs.  The seeds tend to be poisonous.

[Rtreid]

Simon,


Have you been talking to a particular one of the local nurserymen?


I heard this from a local source and like you was a bit worried about it.  However, after looking into it, I realized that even the fruits with higher levels of the annonicins (e.g. guanabana) really do not have enough to be of any real concern unless you eat A LOT of them.  The amounts found in the cherimoyas are very low, and unless you are eating literally dozens of them every day for your entire life. there should be little to worry about, at least for a normal healthy individual.  (BTW, I am trained as a natural products chemist and worked in the field of neurobiology for many years so I have a pretty good understanding of the scientific literature on the subject)


So as long as you do not decide to go on a cherimoya only diet for the rest of your life, I would not worry about it.


RIchard

[Tim]

Thank goodness, Richard ... I can go pig out on mine 

Yea, I've read seeds and leaves being the culprits but not much concern on edible flesh as well.

[fruitlovers]

I would expect to find this compound mainly in the seeds, twigs, and leaves, not in the pulp.  Medicinal uses of the Annonaceae are usually teas or extracts from the leaves or twigs.  The seeds tend to be poisonous.

I agree with Har. The concern was based on one small study on Caribbean island where large amounts of soursop were consumed on daily basis. The tests done on rats were based on synthesized annonacins not the real substance. I think this study was very faulty but did raise this concern over eating annonas. Even annona seeds are ok as long as they are not chewed and will go right through your body. There is a big problem though with processed soursop (guanabana) juices and other soursop products. Many factories are not very good at removing all the seeds. The seeds get crunched and end up in final product. I would just be very careful about eating processed products of soursop.

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

Hi Simon,

Excellent topic...I always wanted to learn more about this issue!

The native people use pounded annona seeds to make pesticides and to get rid of lice!

 

[simon_grow]

I've read everything I could find on the subject and come to the conclusion that it is safe to eat Cherimoya.  But, just to be safe, I will avoid eating the seed and skin.  While doing research on Cherimoyas, I found out there are many everyday fruits and veggies that can be poisonous.
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-10-poisonous-fruits-and-vegetables
Often, these fruits and veggies have the toxin in such small amounts or the toxin is deactivated by heat or by our bodies that it should be of no worry to us.  Most if not all of these fruit and veggies are considered very healthy for us and often contain other compounds that are considered antioxidants and some may even have anti-cancer properties.  I'm going to continue eating as many cherimoyas as I can get my hands on, especially after tasting a bumpy looking Cherimoya I picked up at the asian market that looks a lot like El Bumpo.  I shared pieces of the fruit with my friends and family and everyone said it was the best tasting cherimoya they had ever eaten. 
Simon

[Rtreid]

I would expect to find this compound mainly in the seeds, twigs, and leaves, not in the pulp.  Medicinal uses of the Annonaceae are usually teas or extracts from the leaves or twigs.  The seeds tend to be poisonous.

I agree with Har. The concern was based on one small study on Caribbean island where large amounts of soursop were consumed on daily basis. The tests done on rats were based on synthesized annonacins not the real substance. I think this study was very faulty but did raise this concern over eating annonas. Even annona seeds are ok as long as they are not chewed and will go right through your body. There is a big problem though with processed soursop (guanabana) juices and other soursop products. Many factories are not very good at removing all the seeds. The seeds get crunched and end up in final product. I would just be very careful about eating processed products of soursop.

Oscar, if you are referring to the study by Champy et al., they used annonacins  purified from A. muricata root powder in their rat studies.  There was another study by Landolt et al. that used synthetic derivatives, but that was the point of their study.

But it is still true that while there are measurable levels of annonacins in the pericarp of most, if not all of the annonas, they are not a problem for the average person.  As Simon inferred above, all fruits, vegetables and plants have toxic substances in them, it is just that they are at very low levels.  In fact, you would be shocked to learn just how much methanol your body naturally produces every day.

In the  island of Guadeloupe studies that Oscar mentioned, not only did the affected persons eat large amounts of soursop, they also drank large amounts of tea made from the leaves and bark (where the annonacin concentrations are higher).  But we general fruit lovers are safe.

[fruitlovers]

Oscar, if you are referring to the study by Champy et al., they used annonacins  purified from A. muricata root powder in their rat studies.  There was another study by Landolt et al. that used synthetic derivatives, but that was the point of their study.

But it is still true that while there are measurable levels of annonacins in the pericarp of most, if not all of the annonas, they are not a problem for the average person.  As Simon inferred above, all fruits, vegetables and plants have toxic substances in them, it is just that they are at very low levels.  In fact, you would be shocked to learn just how much methanol your body naturally produces every day.

In the  island of Guadeloupe studies that Oscar mentioned, not only did the affected persons eat large amounts of soursop, they also drank large amounts of tea made from the leaves and bark (where the annonacin concentrations are higher).  But we general fruit lovers are safe.

I also think that negative effects were casued by drinking tea made out of soursop leaves. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Another problem is eating products of soursop, like juices, were ground seeds may inadvertently get mixed in. You are right that many fruits have toxic coumpounds in very small quantities. MANGO is a prime example. That is why so many people are allergic to mangos. Anacardiaceae is same family as poison oak and has similar compounds, but in much smaller concentration, so most people can tolerate them.

[Conden]

I also think that negative effects were casued by drinking tea made out of soursop leaves. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Another problem is eating products of soursop, like juices, were ground seeds may inadvertently get mixed in.

Yes! Once I accidentally neglected removing a soursop seed when making a smoothie in my vitamix blender, and it made me extremely ill for days.  I will never try to blend another annonacae fruit again after that experience; those seeds can hide very easily.    But I have to concur that the fruits are safe so long as you eat them correctly. 

[fruitlovers]

Yes! Once I accidentally neglected removing a soursop seed when making a smoothie in my vitamix blender, and it made me extremely ill for days.  I will never try to blend another annonacae fruit again after that experience; those seeds can hide very easily.    But I have to concur that the fruits are safe so long as you eat them correctly.

I've done the same thing. It's very easy to miss a soursop seed when you are trying to remove them all. BTW, any of the annona seeds, not just soursop, will make you ill if you accidentally include them in a smoothie. If that happens best to just throw out the whole mix.
A lot of fruit seeds contain toxins. Nature wants animals to spread the plants by eating the fruits and dropping the seeds, but not to eat the seeds, unless the seeds can survive the animal's digestive tract.

[Guanabanus]

The study in the Carribbean islands was not a clinical trial nor even a collection of anecdotal evidence, is was a population study, and a small one at that.

The population showed an above average incidence of atypical Parkinson's disease.  The researchers cast about for a reason, and SUPPOSED that it MIGHT be from drinking Custard-Apple-leaf tea and Soursop-leaf tea. 

Custard-Apple-leaf tea is used a lot to help agitated persons to sleep or to calm headaches or just as a general tonic to "feel good."

Soursop-leaf tea has an interesting flavor and has a slight suppressive action on tumors.  It is usually marketed as "Graviola leaf tea", which is the Brazilian Portuguese name.  Unscrupulous marketers sometimes sell it under the name "South-American Pawpaw", to take undue advantage of the far superior product described below.

The twigs of Northern-Pawpaw, when collected in May (Late Spring), contain potent alkaloids which retard tumor growth, and so are useful to give chemotherapy and other curative methods more time to catch up with the cancer. 

See Nature's Sunshine product, "Paw Paw CellReg".  This was developed by retired Purdue University pharmacognocist, Dr. Jerry McGlaughlin, who also sevres on the board of the Pawpaw Foundation, Of which I am a member.

[fruitlovers]

The study in the Carribbean islands was not a clinical trial nor even a collection of anecdotal evidence, is was a population study, and a small one at that.

The population showed an above average incidence of atypical Parkinson's disease.  The researchers cast about for a reason, and SUPPOSED that it MIGHT be from drinking Custard-Apple-leaf tea and Soursop-leaf tea. 

Custard-Apple-leaf tea is used a lot to help agitated persons to sleep or to calm headaches or just as a general tonic to "feel good."

Soursop-leaf tea has an interesting flavor and has a slight suppressive action on tumors.  It is usually marketed as "Graviola leaf tea", which is the Brazilian Portuguese name.  Unscrupulous marketers sometimes sell it under the name "South-American Pawpaw", to take undue advantage of the far superior product described below.

The twigs of Northern-Pawpaw, when collected in May (Late Spring), contain potent alkaloids which retard tumor growth, and so are useful to give chemotherapy and other curative methods more time to catch up with the cancer. 

See Nature's Sunshine product, "Paw Paw CellReg".  This was developed by retired Purdue University pharmacognocist, Dr. Jerry McGlaughlin, who also sevres on the board of the Pawpaw Foundation, Of which I am a member.

As i recall this high incidence of Parkinson's disease occured on a Caribbean island (Martinique?) which also was dumping huge amounts of prohibited soil fumigants on their banana plantations. I guess it was more politically correct for these scientist to blame the soursop than large ag companies for all the degenaritive diseases that occured as a result of their greed for profits.