Annona muricata (Graviola): Toxic or therapeutic

Abstract

The medicinal plant Annona muricata (Annonaceae), also known as Graviola or Soursop, is reported here to contain imino sugar alkaloids. This is the first report of imino sugars in the Annonaceae. Graviola has very broad medicinal claims and is also widely consumed as a food and in drinks in the tropics. The plant produces a wide range of secondary chemicals, some already known to be toxic, but the discovery here of the imino sugars as a new group of chemicals, including the neurotoxin swainsonine, raises questions about the safety of consumption of this plant.