Richard

Chong,
There is quite a bit of controversy in how much annonacins are present in the fruit portion of other Annona species. I have taken the position to not ingest them until there are studies showing insignificant levels. Analyzing a good portion of the edible fruits of Annona genus for annonacin levels would be an excellent way for a graduate student to earn a masters degree. So far the reaction in the U.S. community has been mostly dismissive and degenerated into "armchair bantering".

I do know that tests several decades ago by Julia Morton's colleagues showed that A. cherimoya and A. muricata were chemically equivalent within a few percent. I showed this to a colleague at the Neurosciences institute who immediately banned his family from eating them. A recent report also cited significant levels of annonacins in the common pawpaw.

Annonacins are being evaluated by the U.S. FDA as a cancer drug -- but note this would be for a specific interval of time in targeted areas of the body. Much of the research on levels of annonacins in Annona species focuses on levels in the bulk plant because the pharmaceutical industry is set up for extraction by distillation. Consequently, to learn about levels in fruits we must resort to having the fruit tested ourselves. HarveyC is considering investigating this in his area.

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lorax

Wow, I had no idea. My favourite fruit is the chirimoya, and I've been consuming both it and guanabana whenever I can. I don't seem to be suffering from dementia, but I also generally freeze the pulp before I eat it. Not sure how that affects annonacin content, but I'm not going to stop eating them just because somebody said they might be toxic.

I'm not sure exactly what the concentration is in the meat of chirimoyas, but I do know it's far far more concentrated in the seeds (regardless of Annona species). To be safe, I'll start scooping out the bit of flesh around those as well....

harveyc

I wrote a lab last week about testing cherimoya pulp who then referred me to another lab and they have not responded yet. Until last year I had probably only eaten one cherimoya in my life then I ordered a box of six online last December and then I bought about 10 pounds worth last month when I was in San Diego County and ate those up. My purchase last year was mostly to try them out from a good source to see if I liked them as much as some people rave about them. I thought they were "okay"; good tasting pulp but I find the seeds very annoying. I bought the ones last month because the friend I was with encouraged me since we were at a U-pick location and it was a fun "hunt". Those did taste really good but I still find the seeds really annoying. I have eaten them with a grapefruit spoon and spit out the seeds but I remember swallowing at least one. I will probably just avoid eating them. The lab tests would probably be more expensive than I'm willing to pay, especially since my interest in the fruit is pretty limited right now anyways. It will just stop me from acquiring a love for the fruit before it is established.

I think the suggestion of a graduate student taking this on for their thesis is an excellent idea, Richard. Maybe someone at Cal Poly SLO or Pomona could be contacted since the fruits are grown in those areas.

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lorax

Harvey, did you ever put them in the freezer before eating them? They're about 500 zillion % better frozen - like healthy hagen dasz.

harveyc

No, I did not try that. Until you mentioned it in the other thread I had never heard of that. I think of white sapote as a nice healthy ice cream substitute. I had a smoothie made of white sapote when visiting Papaya Tree Nursery and thought it was great! I hear that it's even great to use as a substitue for egg nog.

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Richard

As for Guanabana, it's not a matter of somebody said. There is a whole stream of published papers on the subject, and the native people of Guadaloupe are in a particularly bad way from eating the fruit on an almost daily basis. Annona muricata is definately to be avoided.

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Richard

It's going to take more than one voice suggesting it to them. I wish others would

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harveyc

All we need to do is find one graduate student. Cal Poly requires all students to do a "senior project" over the course of two or more quarters to earn their Bachelor of Science degree so I think it would be easy to get someone interested. They have the potential of making quite a name for themself! I don't know anyone going there right now, unfortunately (I graduated from SLO many years ago).

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Bch Grl

Wow! Thanks for all the info!

Not one month ago, I bought a Sweetsop at the local Lowes. I heard the fruit was good and I wanted to try to grow it. Now, I think I'll give it a secone thought...Not that it'll have fruit any time soon.

As a Physical Therapist, I work with Dementia patients all the time and try to do all I can to protect those brain cells!!!

Thanks again for this great thread!

Margie

bencelest

Now I am having a 2nd thought eating them anonas.
How can it be when they taste so good. But then it costs so much $5 a lb is its drawback so that I don't eat that much.
It is just like a moth going through the flame. Huh!

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Banana Nut

Richard

It is a terrible irony that one of the world's best tasting fruits (the soursop, aka guanabana, graviola) contains such a terrible drug. The pulp of one fruit contains about 30 mg. Natives who eat the wild fruits on a semi-regular basis are incapacitated by age 40. Natives who eat the fruits and drink tea from the leaves are in trouble by age 30.

The amount of annonacins in the fruit pulp of other Annonas in the Americas is not well-studied, in part do to pressure from growers. As an example of this, a study performed by two Peruvian researchers on Cherimoya was published in India and not circulated.

Here is a frightening fact: 1,000s of people in the U.S. are taking the unregulated herbal Graviola extract on a daily basis for cancer prevention in dosages of 600 mg and higher.

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harveyc

Richard, I don't believe pressure from growers has much do with it at all. For instance, growers of cherimoya are so few and so small to have very little influence. Consumer apathy is likely to be a much bigger reason, IMHO.

Harvey

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Richard

It's a significant cash crop in Peru and the American tropics in general. Also, the Peruvian government sunk money into Muricata grove development.

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harveyc

I don't think that would have any significant influence on a U.S. medical group that was aware of risks.

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Richard

I agree. But I was referring to Peruvian researchers in Peru. Sorry I wasn't clear about that.

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Richard

A few weeks ago a fellow stopped by to chat about fruits we enjoy growing and eating. He has noticeable shaking and motor control problems and said that his doctors had diagnosed him with atypical Parkinson's disease from a constant diet of cherimoyas and cherimoya products. He said he's the third case in the county. Understandably, he was looking for unusual guava varieties ...

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harveyc

Thanks for the update, Richard.

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Eric

Totally Thanx Richard & everybody! After reading this thread, I'll be totally happy to stick with other, safer fruits. Don't care how good something tastes, would Never go for taste over health! Besides, I'm binx'd enough, don't need any dementias to go with it!