Molecular mechanisms of Annona muricata anti-proliferative/anti-cancer properties

Abstract

Annona muricata, commonly known as Graviola, soursop or guanabana is an evergreen tree native to the tropics. Its roots, bark, bark, seeds, leaves, and pulp are used in traditional African and South American pharmacopeias to treat a variety of diseases such as arthritis, parasitic infection, hypertension, fever or diabetes. Most notably extracts from several parts of the plant have been reported to be toxic to cell lines models for breast, colorectal, skin, head and neck, lung, liver, pancreatic and prostate cancer. Graviola extracts (GE) have been shown to affect several cancer-specific metabolic pathways which are key to cancer progression such as glucose metabolism, hypoxia response, oxidative stress, apoptosis and immune response. The present review attempts to summarize how Graviola alters those metabolic pathways. The possibility that GE modulate the expression of upstream epigenetic factors controlling the synthesis of cancer biomarkers is also be discussed.