One of the best fruits, Soursop fruit juice also known as graviola pulp is widely consumed for its sweet taste and flavos.
It is native to tropical America and Africa. And it can come in diverse sizes. The white fibrous fruits has been scientifically proven to be not only good for its sweet taste, it can cure cancer and prevent tumor growth.
When the fruits is unripe, it is deep greenish in colour and hard. But becomes light greenish-yellow and soft when ripe. The back of the fruit has thorny-like growths that are however soft when ripe.
Where can you get Soursop fruits?
Soursop fruits have become scarce in recent times due to deforestation, building projects taking place where they were previously cultivated and effect of climate change. It therefore becomes a hard thing to find easily and at will.
However, there are places where one can see it. Places like vegetable and fruits markets, stores and supermarkets can be good places to search for Soursop.
Nutritional composition of Soursop fruit juice
The fruit juice of a ripe graviola is composed of the following nutrient:
- Protein 1 gram
- Carbs 16.8 grams
- Fiber 3.3 grams
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Potassiu
- Magnesiu
- Thiamine
Aside these nutrients, Soursop fruit juice also contains in small amounts, Niacin, Riboflavin, Folate, and Iron, tryptophan, calcium, methionine, and lysine. Folate and vitamin are good for male fertility and pregnant women, as it is involved in the formation development of the fetus. Iron is needed for the production of hemoglobin and for the transportation of oxygenated blood from the liver to various parts of the body.
Bioactive compounds present in Soursop fruits
There are several biochemical compounds in soursop fruit, but due to want of space, we would mention their classes. These include:
- Alkaloids
- Phenolics
- Cyclopeptides
- Megastigmanes
- Flavonol triglycosides
- Essential oil
- Annonacious acetogenins
Health benefits of soursop fruit juice
When soursop is being mentioned, the usual thought that follows immediately is cancer. Yes, several studies have proved that soursop can be effective in the treatment of cancer. This has added positive economic value to the fruit. The cost of the fruit has greatly increased over the years.
May Be Effective Against Corona Virus
The plant annonacia muricata possess several acetogenins that have proved to be effective against several viruses such as herpes simplex virus, human papilloma virus, hepatitis C virus and dengue virus.
A study conducted on the antiviral activity of the plant suggest that the Annonaceous Acetogenins show a good inhibition activity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as per the Molecular Docking and MD simulation results obtained. Notwithstanding, cis-Annonacin was identified to be the most potent acetogenin with a low binding energy (indicative of the highest binding affinity) and greater hydrogen bond formation potential. Other studies also showed the antiviral properties of the plant acetogenins against human immuno deficiency virus, thereby making soursop and the fruit juice a suitable supplement for virus treatment.
Has Been Used Against Prostate Cancer
The numerous acetogenins present in soursop fruit juice and leaves have shown strong anticancer properties which involve cytotoxicity, apoptosis, suppression of proliferation and mitochondria inhibition. The fruit may inhibit hypoxia-induced NADPH oxidase activity in prostate cancer cells, thereby reducing their proliferation and clonogenicity.
The bioactive compounds responsible for the anticancer activity of soursop fruits against prostate cancer are muricin J, muricin K, and muricin L.
May Boost Your Immune System
Soursop fruit juice possesses several vitamins and antioxidants that suppress oxidative stress and scavenge free radicals from circulation. These also boost your immunity and fight against disease pathogens. When you consider the several anticancer and antioxidant compounds present in soursop, you’d appreciate taking a sip of the fruit juice after a stressful day at work place.
Read also (Soursop bitters: 12 health benefits of Graviola leaves)
May Enhance Gastrointestinal Health
The high Flavonoids and Tannins present in soursop has been linked to its anti ulcer properties. According to several studies, the leaves and bark of the plant exhibit strong activity against ulcer and other gastrointestinal problems such as gastritis and poor digestion. The mechanisms of action of these bioactive compounds may be through the unregulation of Hsp70 and downregulaton of Bax, and which are involved in gastric injury suppression.
Adding the leaf extract of soursop to the fruit juice may just be a complimentary way to boost the healing of ulcer or other gastrointestinal complications.
May Enhance Wound Healing
When applied topically for 15 days, the leaf extract of Annona Muricata demonstrated significant wound healin process. It was also alleged that the antioxidant defense also fortified the wound healing activity of soursop leaves. Other studies also confirmed the healing property of the stem bark. It could therefore be that the fruits may also possess the wound healing property as well. However, studies have not proved the fruits wound healing ability.
Read also (Avocado seed tea: Enjoy 13 amazing health benefits)
Soursop Fruit Juice May Improve Diabetes
The fruits of soursop possess some bioactive compounds which have been reported to exert antioxidant and antidiabetic effects by inhibiting key enzymes which are relevant to type 2 diabetes mellitus, such as alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, in an in vitro study.
This is good new for those suffering diabetes, as the leaf extract and seed oil also showed activity against type 1 diabetes mellitus.
May Protect Your Liver and Kidney
Most of the liver and kidney diseases are results of severe oxidative damages cause by free radicals.
With the rich antioxidants present in the fruit pulp of Annona muricata, a regular intake may enhance your liver and kidney health.
The leaf extract were also shown to possess hepatoprotective properties against jaundice. A study showed that the leaf extract significantly reduced hyperbilirubinemia. This makes the leaves a good candidate for hepatitis, since they also possess antiviral properties.
May Enhance Your Blood Pressure
The fruit pulp of soursop may enhance your blood pressure. However, most studies focus on the antihypertensive activities of the leaf extracts. You may want to add the leaf juice to the fruit pulp and drink if you are treating hypertension.
Soursop Fruit Juice May Help In Managing Depression
Soursop fruit juice possesses antidepressants, which may help in managing depression disorders and improve your mood. It can also help you experience good sleeping hours.
References
Glossman-Mitnik, Daniel & Prasad, Shashanka & Pradeep, Sushma & Shimavallu, Chandan & Prasad, Shiva & Syed, Asad & Egbuna, Chukwuebuka & Găman, Mihnea-Alexandru & Kosakowska, Olga & Cho, Wi & Patrick-Iwuanyanwu, Kingsley & Ortega-Castro, Joaquin & Frau, Juan & Flores, Norma. (2021). Evaluation of Annona muricata Acetogenins as Possible Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Agents through Computational Approaches. Frontiers in Chemistry. 10.3389/fchem.2020.624716/abstract.
Copy and paste a formatted citation from below or use one of the hyperlinks at the bottom to download a file for import into a bibliography manager.
Rady I, Bloch MB, Chamcheu RN, et al. Anticancer Properties of Graviola (Annona muricata): A Comprehensive Mechanistic Review. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:1826170. Published 2018 Jul 30. doi:10.1155/2018/1826170
Rady, Islam et al. “Anticancer Properties of Graviola (Annona muricata): A Comprehensive Mechanistic Review.” Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity vol. 2018 1826170. 30 Jul. 2018, doi:10.1155/2018/1826170
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