Annona senegalensis is a herb from the Annona group of plants that may possess central nervous system effects. The plant is commonly known as wild custard apple, and it grows in parts of Nigeria. The flowers are aromatic and are used as a flavour enhancer in cooking. The fruit is yellow and has an edible jelly. Extracts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine to treat a number of disorders including sleeping sickness, chest pain, intestinal and stomach aches, parasitic infection, anaemia and arthritis. This may relate to the observed anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiulcer, antacid, antiprotozoal, antidiarrheal and hormone effects of Annona senegalensis extracts. The leaves have a known anticonvulsant effect, suggesting that one of the mechanisms of action of the plant may be through modification to the GABA system in the brain. For example, in rodents, administration of Annona senegalensis leaf extracts were significantly effective at preventing chemically induced seizures in the animals.
Leaf extracts of Annona senegalensis have also been shown to decrease the anxious behaviour exhibited by rodents when they are exposed to experimental stress. As the GABA system is involved in the regulation of anxiety, this may add further evidence that the leaf extracts contain chemicals that can modify the GABA system. Phytochemical analysis shows that Annona senegalensis contains saponins, tannins, steroids, terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides. Image is of Annona senegalensis. Image from Ton Rulkens, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:// commons.wikimedia.org /w /index.php? curid=21958226.
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