Phytochemistry of Annona squamosa and its Anticancer Potential

Plants and plant derived medicinal products have been used to help mankind to continue its healthiness from the dawn of medicine. Over the past century, the phytochemicals in plants plays an important role in pharmaceutical discovery. The importance of the active ingredients of plants in medicine has inspiring and denoted scientific interest in the biological activities of these substances. Under the classification of flowering plants, the family Annonaceae also called as custard apple family has many traditional values, mainly composed of trees, shrubs and rarely lianas. The word genus Annona is derived from a Latin word ‘anon’ which means ‘yearly produce’ that specifies the production of fruits to the plants of this family. Under the family Annonaceae, encompassing 2300-2500 species and around 130 genera are currently classified. The family Annonaceae mostly found in tropic regions and few species found in temperate regions also. Around 900 species are Neotropical, 450 species are Afrotropical and some species are Indo-Malayasian.