visit us on www.paucarina.com - Tours in Iquitos and Loreto Region on Amazon River Annona is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after Guatteria,[3] containing approximately 110 species of mostly Neotropical and Afrotropical trees and shrubs.[4] The generic name derives from anón, a Hispaniolan Taíno word for the fruit.[5] Paleoethnobotanical studies have dated Annona exploitation and cultivation in the Yautepec River region of Mexico to approximately 1000 BC.[6] Currently, seven Annona species and one hybrid are grown for domestic or commercial use mostly for the edible and nutritious fruits; several others also produce edible fruits.[7] Many of the species are used in traditional medicines for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Several annonacaeous species have been found to contain acetogenins, a class of natural compounds with a wide variety of biological activities