Abstract:
Background: Annona muricata, a tropical plant species belonging to family Annonaceae is one
of the most used plants in folk medicine because of its many medicinal uses. Despite its wide
usage, there is still need to continue scientifically evaluating its medicinal properties in order
to avoid any adverse effects. Elucidating the detailed chemical composition of this plant is a
significant step towards this evaluation. Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct LC MS
analysis on the ethanolic extracts of fruits and leaves of Annona muricata for detection of novel
metabolites. Materials and Methods: Leaves and fruits of Annona muricata were collected
from Eastern Uganda during the month January 2018. Extraction was conducted using the
tissue homogenization method and the extracts were analyzed on an LC/SQ MS detection
system. The results were obtained by analyzing the MS spectra using the retentions time and
fragmentation patterns on the NIST Library. Results: The study revealed that the fruits extracts
contain 1,3-Dimethylthiourea and (4-chlorophenyl)-[4-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(Z)-3-(dimethylamino)
prop-1-enyl]quinolin-6-yl]-(3-methylimidazol-4-yl)methanol, which are reported antioxidant
and antineoplastic agents. The leaves contained 2,4,6-Tribromoaniline another antioxidant
and antineoplastic agent, while compound (dichlorozirconium(2+);dimethyl-bis(2-methyl-4-
phenylinden-1-id-1-yl)silane was found in both extracts of fruits and leaves. Conclusion: The
current study suggests that ethanolic extracts of fruits and leaves of Annona muricata contain
compounds which are potent antioxidant, antineoplastic and therapeutic agents for various
conditions and paves the way for the development of several treatment regimens from these
plant parts. Finally, the compounds reported in this study have been identified for the first time
as being found in Annona muricata.
