Anona has been investigated as a potential source of anti-cancer drugs, however the claim that it "only destroys malignant cells" is no longer so true!
Antitumor medicines are mostly of natural origin, precisely due to their great toxicity, and that is why, even if people have a desperate desire to seek new “therapeutic options” from nature, they have to be very careful. as the damage that results from the use and abuse of its consumption is very serious.
On the Island of Guadalupe, a series of atypical cases of Parkinson's have been recorded, which have been related to the consumption of fruits and derivatives of Annona muricata L. (Anona), a hypothesis supported by a “case-control” study which demonstrated that the number of patients with atypical Parkinsonism was higher in the group that consumed fruits, infusions and decoctions of leaves of this plant than in the group of patients with Idiopathic Parkinsonism or in the control group.
The Annona muricata L. plant contains two neurotoxins: “Isoquinoline Alkaloids” and “Acetogenins”, and the latter includes “Anonacin”, extremely toxic to neurons.
A medium-sized fruit contains approximately 15 mg of Anonacin, a commercial can contains 36 mg and a cup of infusion or decoction 140 µg. As an indicator of its potential toxicity, an adult who consumes one fruit or one can per day for more than a year is estimated to consume the amount of Anonacin that caused brain damage in rats that received this pure substance intravenously.
These data reinforce the hypothesis, based on epidemiological data, that the long-term consumption of products derived from Annona muricata L. may contribute to the neuronal degeneration that is responsible for Atypical Parkinsonism in Guadeloupe.
The fruit of A. Muricata L. and its derivatives (nectars, ice cream) are consumed in abundance in all tropical areas and its medicinal teas and ground leaves are sold as a dietary supplement. The link between custard apple consumption and Atypical Parkinsonism has also been seen in Afro-Caribbean and Indian populations in England and New Caledonia.
Although the evidence remains circumstantial, chronic toxicity as a result of abusive consumption of Anonacin may constitute a serious public health problem worldwide. Neurologists and general practitioners who consult these potentially vulnerable populations are increasingly alert to the symptoms of this disease, which urgently needs further investigation.
Bibliography
Champy P, Melot A, Guérineau Eng V, Gleye C, Fall D, Höglinger GU, et al. Quantification of acetogenins in Annona muricata linked to atypical parkinsonism in guadeloupe. Mov Disord. 2005;20(12):1629-33.