Graviola Leaf
This ingredient is used in Bloodroot Salve because of its in vitro ability to kill cancer cells.
Origins
Annona muricata is a broadleaf evergreen tree native to Mexico, Cuba, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is also known as graviola, sour-sop, custard apple, cherimoya, guanabana and Brazilian paw paw. People in these areas have used various parts of the graviola tree to treat infections with viruses or parasites, rheumatism, arthritis, depression, and sickness. We know from research that some graviola extracts can help to treat these conditions. People use the bark, leaves, root, and fruits of this tree for traditional remedies. (Source)
Research on Anti-Cancer Properties
Richard D. McCarthy, MD, on the encyclopedic cancer website U.S. Cancer Centers: Cancer Center Information and Research, “The NCI or the National Cancer Institute did some research on the guanabana cancer cure [sic] and came up with some interesting results. The study . . . showed that the leaves and stems of the plant were incredibly efficient at destroying certain cancerous cells in the body.”
Graviola extracts were effective against the growth of Adriamycin-resistant human mammary adenocarcinoma (breast cancer), as reported by Oberlies NH, Chang CJ, McLaughlin JL. (Structure-activity relationships of diverse Annonaceous acetogenins against multidrug resistant human mammary adenocarcinoma cells J Med Chem.)
Also, a new study, performed by a cancer research team at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, shows that graviola kills pancreatic cancer cells by inhibiting cellular metabolism. This cancer tumor-fighting ability has been confirmed both in test tubes and in live subjects.