All parts of the Graviola tree are used in natural medicine in the tropics including the bark, leaves, roots, fruit and fruit-seeds. Different properties and uses are attributed to the different parts of the tree. Generally the fruit and fruit juice is taken for worms and parasites, to cool fevers, to increase mother's milk after childbirth (lactagogue), and as an astringent for diarrhea and dysentery. The crushed seeds are used as a vermifuge and anthelmintic against internal and external parasites and worms. The bark, leaves and roots are considered sedative, antispasmodic, hypotensive and nervine and a tea is made for various disorders for those purposes.

Graviola has a long rich history of use in herbal medicine as well as a long recorded indigenous use. In the Peruvian Andes, a leaf tea is used for catarrh and the crushed seed is used to kill parasites⁽¹⁾ In the Peruvian Amazon the bark roots and leaves are used for diabetes and as a sedative and antispasmodic.⁽²⁾ Indigenous tribes in Guyana use a leaf and/or bark tea of Graviola as a sedative and heart tonic.⁽³⁾ In the Brazilian Amazon, a leaf tea is used for liver problems⁽⁴⁾ and the oil of the leaves and unripe fruit is mixed with olive oil and used externally for neuralgia, rheumatism and arthritis pain.⁽⁵⁾ In Jamaica, Haiti and the West Indies, the fruit and/or fruit juice is used for fevers, parasites, as a lactagogue, and diarrhea; and the bark or leaves are used as an antispasmodic, sedative, and nervine for heart conditions, coughs, grippe, difficult childbirth, asthma, asthenia, hypertension and parasites.^{(6, 7, 8)}

Many bioactive compounds and phytochemicals have been found in Graviola as scientists have been studying its properties since the 1940's. Its many uses in natural medicine has been validated by this scientific research. The earliest studies were between 1941 and 1962. Several studies by different researchers demonstrated that the bark as well as the leaves had hypotensive, antispasmodic, vasodilator, smooth muscle relaxant and cardiodepressant activities in animals.^(9,10) Researchers re-verified Graviola leaf's hypotensive properties in rats again in 1991.⁽¹¹⁾ Several studies over the years have demonstrated that leaf, bark, root, stem and seed extracts of Graviola are antibacterial in vitro against numerous pathogens^{(12, 13, 14)} and that the bark has antifungal properties.^{(14, 15)} Graviola seeds demonstrated active antiparasitic properties in a 1991 study,⁽¹⁶⁾ and a leaf extract showed to be active against malaria in two other studies in 1990 and 1993.^{(17, 18)} The leaves, root, and seeds of Graviola demonstrated insecticidal properties with the seed demonstrating strong insecticidal activity in a early 1940 study.⁽¹⁹⁾ In a new 1997 clinical study, novel alkaloids were found in Graviola fruit with anti-depressive effects in animals.⁽²⁰⁾

Much of the recent research on Graviola has been on a novel set of phytochemicals that are found in the leaves, seeds and stem of Graviola which are cytotoxic against various cancer cells. In an 1976 plant screening program by the National Cancer Institute, the leaves and stem of Graviola showed active cytotoxicity against cancer cells and researchers have been following up on this research ever since.⁽²¹⁾ Two separate research groups have isolated novel compounds in the seeds and leaves of the plant which have demonstrated significant anti-tumorous, anticancerous and selective toxicity against various types of cancer cells, publishing 8 clinical studies on their findings.^{(22 - 29)} One study demonstrated that an isolated compound in Graviola was selectively cytotoxic to colon adenocarcinoma cells in which it was 10,000 times the potency of adriamycin (a chemotherapy drug).⁽²³⁾ Cancer research is ongoing on Graviola, and four new studies have been published in 1998 which further narrow down the specific phytochemicals which are demonstrating the strongest anticancerous and antiviral properties.^{(30 - 33)}

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