Botanical Name : Annona squamosa Linn.
Family : Annonaceae
Introduction :
Latin name: annona = word from native name; squamosa = scaly.
Names in different Indian languages :
English : Custard Apple, Sugar Apple, Sweet-sop.
Hindi : Sitaphal
Kannada : Sitaphala
Malayalam : Sitaphalam, attachaka
Sanskrit : Sitaphalam
Tamil : Sitaaphalam, Atta
Telugu : Sitappalam
Unani : Sharifaa
Synonyms :
Gandagaatra, Sitaa phala
Varieties & adulterants – (CV – controversy, AD – adulterants) :
Curcurbita maxima – cv
Annona glabra
Morphology :
This tree grows 3 to 8 mts. high and is well known to all Indians. (Its origin is in South America).
Leaves – 6-9 cms. simple, opposite, lanceolate.
Flowers – 3 cms. long and always with three petals.
Fruit – fleshy and contains multiple oblong seeds. Surface of the fruit shows round blebs.
Annona reticulata (Ramphala) belongs to the same family but is smooth externally.
Distribution & Habitat :
A native to South America and theWest Indies; now cultivated throughout India
Chemical constituents :
Quinoline, Squamone , bullatacinone
Properties :
Rasa: Madhura:
Guna: laghu. snigdha;
Virya :sheeta:
Vipaka: madhur;
Dosha: vatapittashamak and kaphakarak.
Karma :
Tarpanam, raktakrit, hridyam
Abortifacient, purgative, invigorating, sedative to heart, antibilious, antiemetic, expectorant.
Indication :
Daham
fever, skin disease, cough, piles, leucorrhoea,vomiting, dysentery,gout, burning sensation, dyspepsia, cephalgia, worm infection
Part used :
Bark, leaf, fruit
Dosage :
Leaf juice 10-15 ml
Powder 2-4 g
Decoction 50-100 ml
Uses :
Leaves and seeds are antihelmintic and anti-inflammations. Paste of leaves is used to eradicate lice from the scalp. Fruit is useful in bleeding disorders. dysuria. pyrexia. burning sensation, sexual debility and thirst. Ripe fruit is laxative.