Soursop / Guanábana

Annona muricata is an evergreen plant primarily distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, including India, Nigeria, and Malaysia. It is native to the warmest tropical areas in South and North America. Muricata is an evergreen, terrestrial tree reaching 5–8 m in height. The edible fruits of the tree are large, green in color, and heart-shaped, with a 15-20 cm diameter.

In Colombia, people mash the white pulp, mix it with sugar, and use it as a drink. Groceries and restaurants sell ready-mashed, chilled fruit pulp. In Indonesia, guanabana amazónico is used as a kind of pudding and sweet. It is eaten raw in the Philippines. The soursop tree leaves are used for making a special tea on many Caribbean islands. The guanabana amazónico is also used for making ice cream, soft drinks, or jams. Guanabana amazónico is a great vitamin C, fiber, and potassium source. It also contains amounts of calories, carbohydrates, and protein.

The industrial processes for guanabana are straightforward. It is enough to scrape out the pulp and separate the seeds from it; the waste is low, and the utilization is high. In South America, guanabana is used to produce ice cream, soft drinks, and jams, besides its numerous ethnomusical uses.

This tree can be a source of income for the farmer and cause economic development in the region where it is planted.

Annual Yield

Fruiting starts in the second year, and a 5-year-old tree produces 60 to 300 kg per year. 

Research shows the following biological activities for Annona muricata: 

• Anti-cancer, anti-arthritic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiplasmodial, antiparasitic, and hypolipidemic activities, 

• Insecticidal activity, 

• Hepatoprotective and bilirubin-lowering activity, 

• Gastroprotective activity, 

• Wound Healing activity.¹