Soursop is a Brazilian flowering tree. Its fruits and leaves are known to provide powerful benefits. There are also claims that the leaves are 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. The leaves have a powerful nutritional profile. But how true are the claims? In this article, we'll look at what research tells us about soursop leaves and the plant in general.
What Are Soursop Leaves?
Soursop (Annona muricata), also known as Graviola or Brazilian pawpaw, is a flowering evergreen tree. It is native to Central America, Mexico, Cuba and parts of India. It is now widely distributed from southeastern China to Australia and eastern and western Africa.
Traditional medicine uses soursop leaves to treat several diseases and conditions. This herb is mainly used to treat inflammation, rheumatism, hypertension, diabetes, parasitic infections and other similar conditions.
Soursop fruit is edible and has good therapeutic value. It is popular as an anti-arthritic agent. Its extracts fight parasitic infections and worms. The leaves work in treating hypoglycemia and inflammation and also have antispasmodic properties.
These properties can be attributed to the plant's metabolites. Saponins, alkaloids, coumarins, terpenoids, tannins and several other active phytochemicals have been identified in this miracle plant.
In the next section, we will look at the possible health benefits of soursop leaves.
What Are the Health Benefits of Soursop Leaves?
Soursop leaves are well known anti-inflammatory agents. They also have antipyretic, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cardioprotective and antiparasitic properties. Soursop extracts can positively affect your body's vital systems.
1. May Aid Cancer Treatment
Studies demonstrate the non-proliferative and cytotoxic effects of soursop extracts against cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, lungs, blood, liver, cervix, ovaries, mouth and skin.
Active biological ingredients that may be beneficial are called acetogenins (AGEs). These EFAs are involved in the anti-cancer properties of soursop. They kill cancer cells by inhibiting mitochondrial complex I, a protein in cancer cells.
However, more rigorous studies are needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of soursop and its leaves.
2. May Control Inflammation
Studies have identified over 117 compounds in soursop leaves that have anti-inflammatory properties. More research is needed to understand the anti-inflammatory effects of the leaves.
Soursop leaf extracts have shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties in rat studies.
A decoction of the leaves is applied topically for its anti-rheumatic and neuralgic effects. It also reduces/heals abscesses and wounds. Leaf extracts can relieve inflammatory conditions like cystitis, rheumatism, arthritic pain, fever, diarrhea, dysentery, malaria, parasites and skin rashes.
Soursop leaf extract inhibits inflammatory mediators like IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and nitric oxide (NO). A dose of 100 mg/kg of this extract was found to be anti-nociceptive (pain blocking) in rats.
The leaves could also heal ulcers, lesions, open wounds, and edema with almost no toxicity in rat studies.
May Help Treat Insomnia Traditionally, soursop leaves have been used to treat insomnia. The leaves have smooth muscle relaxing activity and act as sedatives. Having a glass of soursop leaf tea can also help alleviate stress.
3. May Help Regulate Diabetes Symptoms
Daily administration of 100 mg/kg of aqueous soursop extract to rats showed strong glycemic control. The leaves of the plant may help improve glucose metabolism.
Prolonged soursop treatment (for 28 days) in rats reduced blood glucose and serum creatinine. It also balanced the activity of liver enzymes (AST, ALT, etc.). Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also restored.
4. May Possess Antiviral Properties
Soursop extracts exhibit antiviral properties against selective viruses. The plant interferes with HIV-1 replication in host cells. In addition, these extracts prevent the virus from attaching to the host cell. Soursop bark and stem extracts have been noted to act against herpes simplex virus (HSX).
Although there is no direct research indicating similar effects with leaves, the results of the aforementioned research can be extrapolated to leaves as well.
The virucidal effect of the soursop plant could be attributed to its polyphenols.
5. Can Protect Oral Health
Soursop leaves have been shown to be bactericidal and fungicidal. They inhibited the growth of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Candida albicans.
Studies show that soursop leaf extracts can be used against oral microbes to some extent. The extracts have antimicrobial and fungicidal properties.
These strains have been found to cause periodontitis, gingivitis, and other oral diseases. Laboratory experiments report an antimicrobial effect of the leaves. They were the most powerful against the fungus Candida albicans. These results show the power of soursop leaves in the treatment of oral disorders.
Soursop leaves have a powerful phytochemical profile. In the next section, we will look in more detail at the nutrients responsible for their benefits.
Phytochemical Composition of Soursop Leaves
Soursop plants contain several types of phytochemicals, including alkaloids, phenolics, and terpenoids. However, a few soursop species are rich sources of annonaceous acetogenin compounds (AGEs). EFAs are considered crucial for their antimicrobial, antiprotozoal, antiviral and anthelmintic properties.
Annomuricin, annomutacin, annohexocin, muricapentocin, anonain, isolaurelin, xylopin, gallic acid, epicatechin, quercetin, catechin, chlorogenic acid, kaempferol, annonamine, norcorydine, vomifoliol were identified in these leaves.
They also contain rutin, blumenol, solamine, epomuricenin, reticulin, coreximin, coclaurine, stepharine, atherosperminin and anomuricin. Seeds, fruits, roots and other aerial parts contain these phytochemicals (and a few others) in varying proportions.
Soursop leaf oils also contain sesquiterpenes. The most abundant compound is β-caryophyllene. These volatile oils contain β-pinene, germacrene-D, α-pinene, β-elemene, δ-cadinene, epi-α-cadinol, and α-cadinol.
A cognitive effect of all these phytochemicals results in the benefits discussed above.
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