NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Ambarella

Spondias dulcis

Tart tropical fruit rich in vitamin C

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium (80 g)

80gSERVING
  • Water 68 g85%
  • Sugars 6.4 g8%
  • Fibre 1.8 g2%
  • Other carbs 1.4 g2%
  • Protein 0.7 g1%
  • Fat 0.2 g0%
  • Other 1.5 g2%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C32%Fibre6%Potassium4%Phosphorus4%Iron1%Vitamin A2%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
46 kcal0.7 g protein1.8 g fiber0.2 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C29 mg32%
Fibre1.8 g6%
Potassium200 mg4%
Phosphorus54 mg4%
Iron0.24 mg1%
Vitamin A18 mcg RAE2%
Calcium18 mg1%
Sodium2 mg0%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Ambarella?

Ambarella (Spondias dulcis) is a fruit used for good source of vitamin c, which supports antioxidant defense and is required for collagen synthesis. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Ambarella (Spondias dulcis, also called kedondong or golden apple) is a tart tropical fruit valued mainly as a low-calorie, hydrating source of vitamin C (roughly 30-42 mg/100 g, higher when semi-ripe), soluble fibre and potassium. Its purported health effects come almost entirely from in vitro and animal studies of fruit, leaf and bark extracts, which report strong DPPH antioxidant activity (fruit methanol extract IC50 about 1.9 ug/mL), alpha-glucosidase inhibition (fruit IC50 about 4.7 ug/mL), antimicrobial action, and laxative, thrombolytic and anticancer signals. There are no published human randomized controlled trials or cohort studies on ambarella, and much of the antidiabetic and lipid-lowering data is extrapolated from related Spondias species (S. mombin, S. mangifera, S. pinnata) rather than S. dulcis itself. Vitamin C content varies widely by cultivar and maturity. As a result, claims about lowering blood sugar, cholesterol or blood pressure in people remain unproven and the overall human-evidence tier is preliminary. Eaten as a whole fruit, however, it is a sound, nutrient-light addition to the diet, and acute oral toxicity testing in mice found no adverse effects up to 2000 mg/kg of extract.

Purported Benefits

✓Good source of vitamin C, which supports antioxidant defense and is required for collagen synthesis
✓Provides soluble fibre and pectin that may aid bowel regularity and satiety
✓Fruit extracts inhibit alpha-glucosidase in vitro, suggesting a possible (unproven in humans) effect on post-meal glucose
✓Polyphenol-rich extracts show strong free-radical scavenging (DPPH) in laboratory assays
✓Low energy density and high water content make it a light, hydrating whole-food snack
✓Traditional use for sore throat, skin and eye complaints, with preclinical antimicrobial support

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
One medium fruit (about 60-100 g) eaten fresh, or 100-150 g in juice or salad, as part of a varied diet. No evidence-based therapeutic dose exists for humans.
Active Compounds
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)Pectin and soluble dietary fibrePotassiumFlavonoids (rutin, isoquercetin, quercetin)Phenolic acids (gallic, caffeic, chlorogenic, ellagic acid)Catechin and condensed tanninsCarotenoids (e.g. beta-carotene, minor)Organic acids (citric, malic)

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe as a food. The fruit has a large fibrous, spiny seed (stone) that should not be eaten and is a choking hazard, especially for children. Its high organic-acid content makes it quite sour and can aggravate acid reflux or sensitive teeth when eaten unripe in quantity. As a member of the Anacardiaceae (cashew/mango family), it could rarely trigger cross-reactive allergy in people sensitive to mango, cashew or pistachio. Concentrated leaf or fruit extracts and supplements are not standardized and, based on preclinical data, may have additive glucose-lowering effects, so people on antidiabetic drugs should monitor; safety in pregnancy, lactation and kidney disease (potassium load) has not been studied. No grapefruit-type CYP3A4 drug interaction is established for the fruit. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Ambarella with any medicine.

Key Studies

Review dos Santos 2023 ✓ Source
Review (Molecules): S. dulcis methanol extracts gave antioxidant DPPH IC50 of 1.91 ug/mL (fruit) and 5.37 ug/mL (leaves); fruit extract inhibited alpha-glucosidase at IC50 4.73 ug/mL; aqueous fruit extract reduced melanoma tumours at 450 mg/kg in mice.
Review Sameh 2018 ✓ Full text
Genus-wide phytochemical and pharmacological review (Evid Based Complement Alternat Med) documenting that S. dulcis fruit is traditionally used to support eyesight and prevent eye infections, with reported antimicrobial activity; most quantitative pharmacology came from other Spondias species, and constituents include gallic acid, quercetin, rutin, isoquercetin and ellagitannins.
Lab + animal study Fernandes 2023 ✓ PubMed
Phytochemical/pharmacological analysis isolated rutin from S. dulcis and reported high antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50 5.10; H2O2 scavenging 14.14), a laxative effect on intestinal motility, and no adverse effects in an acute oral toxicity test in mice up to 2000 mg/kg.
In vitro / molecular docking Khalid 2022 ✓ Full text
Closely related Spondias mangifera fruit extract inhibited alpha-amylase (73.4%) and alpha-glucosidase (79.2%) dose-dependently in vitro, near acarbose, with beta-sitosterol showing strongest docking to pancreatic alpha-amylase.
Animal study Gobinath 2022 ✓ Full text
Methanolic leaf extract of Spondias mombin (sister species) significantly reduced blood glucose and improved lipid markers in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats over 28 days at 125-500 mg/kg, comparable to glibenclamide.
Animal study Sai 2021 ✓ Full text
Leaf extract of Spondias pinnata (related species) from Nepal produced significant blood-glucose reduction at 500 mg/kg in rats at 1, 2 and 3 hours versus control, supporting traditional antidiabetic use.
Animal study Brito 2018 ✓ Full text
Yellow mombin (Spondias mombin) juice showed gastroprotective and ulcer-healing activity in Wistar rat models (pylorus ligation, ethanol and ibuprofen), mainly via an antisecretory action (reduced gastric content and acidity) with restored gastric mucus on histology.
In vitro / lab study Islam 2013 ✓ PubMed
Comparative study: methanolic fruit extract of S. dulcis had the highest phenolic and flavonoid content and DPPH radical-scavenging activity (IC50 1.91 ug/mL), with moderate antimicrobial activity against bacterial strains plus cytotoxic (brine-shrimp) and significant thrombolytic effects in vitro.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Ambarella

What is Ambarella used for?

Ambarella is most often taken for Good source of vitamin C, which supports antioxidant defense and is required for collagen synthesis, Provides soluble fibre and pectin that may aid bowel regularity and satiety, Fruit extracts inhibit alpha-glucosidase in vitro, suggesting a possible (unproven in humans) effect on post-meal glucose, Polyphenol-rich extracts show strong free-radical scavenging (DPPH) in laboratory assays. Tart tropical fruit rich in vitamin C

Does Ambarella work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Ambarella (Spondias dulcis, also called kedondong or golden apple) is a tart tropical fruit valued mainly as a low-calorie, hydrating source of vitamin C (roughly 30-42 mg/100 g, higher when semi-ripe), soluble fibre and potassium. Its purported health effects come almost entirely from in vitro and animal studies of fruit, leaf and bark extracts, which report strong DPPH antioxidant activity (fruit methanol extract IC50 about 1.9 ug/mL), alpha-glucosidase inhibition (fruit IC50 about 4.7 ug/mL), antimicrobial action, and laxative, thrombolytic and anticancer signals. There are no published human randomized controlled trials or cohort studies on ambarella, and much of the antidiabetic and lipid-lowering data is extrapolated from related Spondias species (S. mombin, S. mangifera, S. pinnata) rather than S. dulcis itself. Vitamin C content varies widely by cultivar and maturity. As a result, claims about lowering blood sugar, cholesterol or blood pressure in people remain unproven and the overall human-evidence tier is preliminary. Eaten as a whole fruit, however, it is a sound, nutrient-light addition to the diet, and acute oral toxicity testing in mice found no adverse effects up to 2000 mg/kg of extract.

What is the typical dose of Ambarella?

One medium fruit (about 60-100 g) eaten fresh, or 100-150 g in juice or salad, as part of a varied diet. No evidence-based therapeutic dose exists for humans.

Is Ambarella safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally safe as a food. The fruit has a large fibrous, spiny seed (stone) that should not be eaten and is a choking hazard, especially for children. Its high organic-acid content makes it quite sour and can aggravate acid reflux or sensitive teeth when eaten unripe in quantity. As a member of the Anacardiaceae (cashew/mango family), it could rarely trigger cross-reactive allergy in people sensitive to mango, cashew or pistachio. Concentrated leaf or fruit extracts and supplements are not standardized and, based on preclinical data, may have additive glucose-lowering effects, so people on antidiabetic drugs should monitor; safety in pregnancy, lactation and kidney disease (potassium load) has not been studied. No grapefruit-type CYP3A4 drug interaction is established for the fruit.

How many studies support Ambarella?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Ambarella, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Ambarella (Spondias dulcis): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/ambarella

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_ambarella,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Ambarella (Spondias dulcis): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/ambarella},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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