POWERFUL ANTI-CANCER

Graviola in recent decades has been a medicinal plant target of numerous studies that attempt to prove its medicinal ability to fight many types of cancer. Some research, although "in vitro" showed that several active ingredients of Graviola known as acetogenins, can attack and kill malignant cells of various different types of cancer, including breast, ovary, colon, prostate, liver, lung, pancreas and lymphomas. The acetogenins is a chemical component extracted from Graviola tree that has proven very effective in reducing enzyme activities in cancer cells, while it remains passive healthy cells.

The National Cancer Institute, the main U.S. agency dedicated to cancer research, supports research by Purdue University, who confirmed that extracts of Graviola leaves killed cancer cells "among six human cell lines", being especially effective against cancers of the prostate and pancreas. Another study showed their effect against lung cancer.

A more recent study at the Catholic University of South Korea showed that the active ingredients have 'selective cytotoxicity ", without any negative activity on healthy cells. Another study from Purdue University, conducted in 1997, suggested that Graviola was responsible for several attacks cancer cells that survived the treatment classic chemotherapy by developing resistance to chemicals.

The Purdue researcher, Dr. Jerry McLaughlin states that many cancer cells, over time, develop a P-glycoprotein, which functions as an efflux pump ATP-dependent, ie actively promotes the exit of the substance (in this case the antineoplastic chemotherapeutic agent) within the cell, ie expels the chemotherapy agent before he can work. However, it is suggested that perhaps the Graviola can ignore that P-glycoprotein and kill cancer cells. Overall, besides dedicating to the effects of Soursop in fighting cancer, researchers from Purdue found activity against worms, some viruses, fungi, and many cancer cell lines.

Although there is no scientific proof and recognition of the international medical community, research on the plant Graviola may represent a future hope in curing cancer, mainly from the isolation of active ingredients present in the plant. Currently, there are several known side effects of chemotherapy, applied in tumors like mesothelioma cancer, such as hair loss and nausea. Other cancers, such as malignant mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma are very aggressive, caused due to exposure to asbestos caused, material commonly used in construction.

Graviola in future can be an effective and safe in the treatment of several additional types of cancer and tumors, without causing side effects such as other heavy traditional medicines. There are over two thousand varieties of plants belonging to the family Annonaceae, which may represent a hope for conducting further research that may provide a cure for cancer.