NATURA GRAViOLA

 

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT

Common Name: Graviola, Guanabana, Catuche

Scientific Name: Annona Muricata

Family: Anonaceae

English Name: Graviola

 

 

I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT.-

 

It is a small tree, 3 to 10 m (10 to 33 ft) tall, with a narrow and open crown; with large, shiny dark green leaves.  The fruit is similar to cherimoya, another member of the same family of Graviola. It is a collective berry, amply ovoid dark green, 15-40 cm length and 10-20 cm width. It is covered by soft, meaty thorns, 0.3 to 0.5 cm long and turned to the apex. The peel is thin and corollaceous. The fruit weighs between 2 and 4 kilos. The peel is covered by thorns, and looks shiny dark green that turns matte when mature,

 

The pulp of the fruit is soft, meaty texture, creamy and juicy, aromatic and with a taste markedly acid, generally white to yellowish in color. Inside the fruit reside the numerous shiny seeds, easy to dislodge, black or dark brown in color, ovoid and flat in shape, 15 to 20 mm long.

 

HABITAT: This tree has been domesticated in the Amazon basin and in Central America. In the Peruvian coast, it has been cultivated since 1200 BCE. In Peru, it is found in the Departments of Loreto, San Martin and Ucayali. It grows in sub-tropical weather zones with temperatures above 12 degrees Centigrade (54 Fahrenheit), and rain levels above 1,000 mm. In the coast line, it is cultivated under irrigation.

 

  

Graviola

 

II. HISTORICAL OR TRADITIONAL USE.-

 

It has been cultivated in Peru since pre-Columbian times: its fruit has been frequently represented in ceramics of the time along the Peruvian coast. Some examples from the Chimu culture even show the fruit with great detail.

 

All the parts of the plant are utilized in the natural medicine of the tropic regions. Different parts of the Graviola tree: bark, root, leaves, fruit and seeds have medicinal uses in the traditional treatment of diabetes, catarrhs, indigestion, intestinal parasites and even certain types of cancer. It is also used as antispasmodic, anti-dysentery, antipyretic and vulnerary.

 

The fresh pulp of the Graviola fruit, also known as Guanabana, much appreciated for its flavor, is consumed directly or also elaborated into desserts, ice creams, drinks, nectars and marmalades.

 

 

 III. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.-

 

Active components: Akaloids (Annonaceus Acetogenins), Muricoreacin, Munhexoin C, Mono-tetrahydrofuran,  acetogenins, annomuricin E, Miricapetocin.

 

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