Soursop leads the world in discussion of fruits with a capacity to fight cancer, and it is being seen as a fruit of the future. Natore has now had success growing it: soursop weighing 1.5kg has been harvested from trees at the germplasm centre of the Modern Horticulture Centre.

Two soursop trees of an African variety were obtained from S M Kamruzzaman, a noted fruit scientist in the country. Under his care the trees grew, and some success came after six years.

Last year and the year before, a number of small fruits were harvested. This year the fruit from the trees has averaged 1.5kg, and it is hoped the yield will continue. The centre is producing seedlings from grafts and seeds, and seedling sales are expected to begin in September.

Although the two soursop trees at the germplasm centre are covered with attractive pale yellow flowers, the number of fruits is proportionally low. S M Kamruzzaman is researching how to raise fruit numbers. He believes pollination problems are the cause, efforts are under way to overcome them, and cross-pollination between the flowers of more than one variety could solve the problem.

The fruit's skin is ridged all over, green when unripe and a mix of pale yellow and green when ripe. It is fibrous and tastes a little sweet and sour. The South American fruit is also known as soursop, graviola, custard apple, pawpaw, guayabano and guanabana. Colombia and Venezuela lead its production.

Rich in various vitamins and minerals, soursop boosts the body's immunity and is regarded as an anti-cancer fruit.

Research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that soursop works as an intestinal cleanser. One study found that, because of its high vitamin C content, the fruit is very effective in treating eye infections. An article in the magazine Food and Function said soursop's phytonutrients fight cancer-causing cells and hinder tumour growth. Scientists at the Tepic Institute of Technology in Mexico recently discovered acetogenins in soursop, which have strong chemotherapeutic properties against cancer. And research at the Nebraska Medical Center found that soursop leaf extract inhibits the spread of glucose in cancer cells.

Alongside the fruit, the leaves are also considered beneficial, and tea made from them can be good for health. S M Kamruzzaman said the tree of this highly beneficial fruit should be in every home. "This fruit of great potential will be the fruit of the future," he said.

S M Kamruzzaman, who works as national consultant to the Year-round Fruit Production Project, said the project has planted 100 soursop seedlings in the hill districts, and he hopes production there will bring good results.

S M Meftahul Bari, deputy director of the Natore Horticulture Centre, said Bangladesh is advancing in fruit farming and currently ranks first in the world for growth in fruit yield per acre. If new fruits can be introduced and marketed, people can enjoy a variety of tastes and lead disease-free lives with better nutrition, he said. Soursop is a leading fruit in this respect, and if it has cancer-fighting properties, aware people should come forward to spread the tree.

Dr A K M Azadur Rahman, a deputy secretary at the Ministry of Shipping who completed a PhD on cancer at King's College London, said: "The various components in different fruits play a role in curing disease. But only further research can confirm which component of soursop may help prevent cancer."

Source: Dhaka Tribune. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.