Annona cherimola (Cherimoya) is a plant belonging to the Annonaceae family of plant. It is native to South America, but is now grow commercially in many tropical countries. The fruit of the tree is known as the custard apple on account of its creamy texture, and the fruit may have some medicinal properties including an anxiolytic and sedative effects. The leaves of the plants may also have medicinal value at treating the central nervous system, including a sedative and anxiolytic effect. For example, in one study leaf extracts of Annona cherimola were tested in a number of animal models of anxiety. The results of the study, which involved mice, showed that the extracts had significant anxiolytic and sedative effects in the mice. The researchers observed through experimentation that interaction with the GABAA receptor was probably the mode of action of the leaf extracts. Phytochemicals within Annona cherimola therefore likely affect the central nervous system through the GABA receptor causing sedative and anxiolytic effects.
Chemical analysis of Annona cherimola (Cherimoya) have shown that it contains a number of phytochemicals that could explain its central nervous system effects. These include palmitone, β-sitosterol, β-caryophyllene, β-selinene, α-cubebene, and linalool. Image is of the fruit of the Annona cherimola plant. Image from: By Hannes Grobe 21:31, 5 November 2006 (UTC) – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/ w/ index.php?curid=1343782.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
