Review- Annona muricata as a cancer killer fruit

Abstract

Cancers figure among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 8.2 million cancer related deaths in 2012 and is expected to rise by about 70 per cent over the next two decades. Cancer is the disease that commonly believed to be preventable. Chemoprevention of cancer can be defined as the use of natural, synthetic or biological substances that intervene in the early precancerous stages. Natural products, especially those derived from plants, have been used to help mankind sustain its health since the dawn of medicine. These plants are rich sources of active phyto-constituents that provide medicinal or health benefits against various ailments and diseases. Annona muricata it is a typical tropical tree with heart shaped edible fruits and widely distributed in most of tropical countries. Two hundred and twelve bioactive compounds have been reported to be found in A. muricata. The predominant compounds are acetogenins followed by alkaloids and phenols. All portions of the A. muricata tree are extensively used as traditional medicines against an array of human ailments and diseases, especially cancer and parasitic infections. Plenty of studies report the significant antiproliferative effects of different extracts of the plant and isolated AGEs (annonaceous acetogenin compounds) towards various cancer cell lines.