Guyabano (scientific name: Anona muricata) is a heart shaped fruit with 10-30 cm long and up to 15 cm in width. The skin of the fruit is leathery and covered with curved, soft, pliable spines. When the tip of these spines can break off easily, then the fruit is ripe enough to eat. The inside of the fruit is cream-colored and is divided into segments. Closely-packed segments are seedless and other segments have a single oval, smooth, hard black seed. One piece of large fruit can contain a dozen to 200 seeds or even more. It tastes slightly acidic and it is used as food in different ways. For example you can spoon the flesh out and make a drink out of it or produced it into candies, tarts, shakes and ice-cream and from the leaves you can make a tea. A native of tropical America, guyabano was introduced into the Philippines at an early date and is no cultivated in all parts of the Archipelago. The plant grows in any kind of soil, but a fairly deep, friable soil of volcanic origin is conducive to growth and fruiting. It thrives very well from sea level up to 500 meters above sea level.
Medicinal Use of Guyabano
Guyabano has been used as folkloric herbal medicine in many regions through the world. It is considered to be antispasmodic, sudorific and emetic. A decoction (boiling in water) of guyabano leaves is used to kill bedbugs and head lice.
To reduce fever, a decoction of leaves can be taken internally or the leaves added to bathing water also have the same effect. The crushed fresh leaves are also applied on skin eruptions for faster healing. A poultice of young guyabano leaves is applied on the skin to alleviate rheumatism and other skin infections like eczema. Applied during the healing of wounds, this can result in less or no skin scars. The decoction can also be used as a wet compress on swollen feet and other inflammations.The juice of the fruit is taken orally as a herbal remedy for urethritis, haematuria and