Custard Apple (Annona squamosa L.) Leaves: Nutritional Composition, Phytochemical Profile, and Health-Promoting Biological Activities

Abstract

Annona squamosa L. (custard apple) belongs to the family Annonaceae and is an important tropical fruit cultivated in the West Indies, South and Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, India, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Egypt. Leaves of custard apple plants have been studied for their health benefits, which are attributed to a considerable diversity of phytochemicals. These compounds include phenol-based compounds, e.g., proanthocyanidins, comprising 18 different phenolic compounds, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Extracts from Annona squamosa leaves (ASLs) have been studied for their biological activities, including anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiobesity, lipid-lowering, and hepatoprotective functions. In the current article, we discussed the nutritional and phytochemical diversity of ASLs. Additionally, ASL extracts were discussed with respect to their biological activities, which were established by in vivo and in vitro experiments. A survey of the literature based on the phytochemical profile and health-promoting effects of ASLs showed that they can be used as potential ingredients for the development of pharmaceutical drugs and functional foods. Although there are sufficient findings available from in vitro and in vivo investigations, clinical trials are still needed to determine the exact effects of ASL extracts on human health.

Evaluation of Nutritional, Phytochemical, and Mineral Composition of Selected Medicinal Plants for Therapeutic Uses from Cold Desert of Western Himalaya

“…Crude protein (%) = (mL standard acid × N of acid) − (mL blank × N of base) − (mL std base × N of base) × 1 : 4007 Weight of sample in grams × 100 (5) where, N = normality, and percentage of crude protein was obtained by multiplying the nitrogen value by a factor of 6.25%. Crude protein = Nitrogen in sample × 6.25.…”

“…The usage of essential oils is attracting significant attention, as these oils are a good source of various bioactive components. They are nowadays chosen over chemical antioxidants because of their antioxidant and antibacterial characteristics, and also due to their generally recognized as safe (GRAS) nature [ 5 , 6 ]. Essential oils are mostly made up of terpenes produced by the mevalonate pathway, which are complex combinations of volatile chemicals found in aromatic plants.…”

Ethnomedicinal Plants Used in the Health Care System: Survey of the Mid Hills of Solan District, Himachal Pradesh, India

“…Studies have reported that the documentation of ethnobotanical knowledge and ethnomedicinal plants can play a significant role in the conservation of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and the protection of threatened ethnomedicinal plants [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. The Himalayan forests provided a rich reservoir of medicinal plants that are essential to the native community [ 32 , 33 ]. Various studies on medicinal plants used by tribal groups in India have found that they prefer traditional medicine since it is less expensive, has fewer side effects, and is a part of their lives and culture on which our findings are set up.…”

Plant-Based Antioxidant Extracts and Compounds in the Management of Oral Cancer

“…Therefore, new and effective treatments to prevent the development of oral cancer are required. In recent years, several authors have reported the potential of natural products and phytochemicals derived from plants in the treatment of oral diseases [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Several natural compounds have been investigated for their ability to cause apoptosis in human cancer cells [ 12 ].…”