What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
Nutrition per serving 1 serving, pulp (100 g)
Water66.7 g67%
Sugars20 g20%
Fibre3.4 g3%
Other carbs2.4 g2%
Protein2.5 g3%
Fat0.4 g0%
Other4.6 g5%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
Cempedak (Artocarpus integer) is a fruit used for antioxidant / free-radical scavenging activity (dpph, frap, abts) from phenolic-rich pulp, peel and seed (in vitro). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Cempedak is a Southeast-Asian Artocarpus fruit closely related to jackfruit, valued in food-composition databases as an energy-moderate, fiber- and potassium-containing fruit with appreciable vitamin C and carotenoids. The direct human evidence base is essentially absent: published studies are overwhelmingly phytochemical and in-vitro/in-vivo (animal/cell) work, not clinical trials in people. Laboratory studies consistently show that its phenolic-rich extracts (especially peel and seed) have strong antioxidant capacity, and isolated prenylated flavonoids and stilbenes display potent tyrosinase inhibition and antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. The seed is a documented source of resistant starch with prebiotic, probiotic-promoting effects in vitro. Genus-level human data are stronger only for the sister species: a small randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of green-jackfruit flour (Artocarpus heterophyllus) lowered HbA1c and fasting/postprandial glucose in type 2 diabetes, and broader meta-analytic data show fruit modestly lowers fasting glucose. None of these clinical findings have been replicated with cempedak itself, so all human-health claims for this specific fruit remain preliminary and extrapolated. It is best regarded as a nutritious whole fruit with promising but pre-clinical bioactive chemistry.
Purported Benefits
✓Antioxidant / free-radical scavenging activity (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS) from phenolic-rich pulp, peel and seed (in vitro)
✓Fiber- and resistant-starch-rich seed with documented prebiotic (Lactobacillus-promoting) activity in vitro
✓Antimalarial prenylated stilbenes/flavones active against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro (and a related species extract in mice)
✓Provides potassium, vitamin C, B-vitamins and carotenoids in an energy-moderate tropical fruit
✓Genus-level signals for glycemic control (green-jackfruit-flour RCT in the sister species) suggesting carbohydrate-quality interest
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
1 serving of fresh pulp, roughly 100 g (about 4-6 arils)
Active Compounds
Prenylated flavonoids (cyclochampedol, artoindonesianins, heteroflavanone)Prenylated stilbenes (trans-4-(3-methyl-E-but-1-enyl)-tetrahydroxystilbene)Arylbenzofurans (licocoumarone, moracin derivatives)Phenolic acids / total polyphenols (gallic-acid-equivalent rich peel & seed)Flavonoids (artocarpesin, norartocarpetin, oxyresveratrol, artocarpanone)Carotenoids (beta-carotene) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid)Dietary fiber and resistant starch (seed)Potassium and B-vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin)
Safety & Cautions
⚠
Cempedak is a high-carbohydrate, moderate-energy fruit (~117 kcal/100 g) and can raise blood glucose; people with diabetes should portion-control and monitor. As a Moraceae/Artocarpus fruit it shares allergens with jackfruit and may cross-react in those with latex-fruit or birch-pollen (PR-10/profilin) allergy or jackfruit allergy. The aromatic latex/sap can be irritating and sticky; seeds are typically boiled or roasted before eating. Bioactive extracts (concentrated flavonoids/stilbenes) are not the same as eating the fruit and have not been tested for safety or drug interactions in humans—avoid medicinal-dose extracts without supervision, particularly alongside antidiabetic or antimalarial drugs. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Cempedak with any medicine.
Cempedak is most often taken for Antioxidant / free-radical scavenging activity (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS) from phenolic-rich pulp, peel and seed (in vitro), Fiber- and resistant-starch-rich seed with documented prebiotic (Lactobacillus-promoting) activity in vitro, Source of potent tyrosinase-inhibiting flavonoids (skin-brightening / anti-browning interest; cell-free/in vitro), Antimalarial prenylated stilbenes/flavones active against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro (and a related species extract in mice). Aromatic jackfruit cousin rich in prenylflavones
Does Cempedak work — what does the evidence say?
Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Cempedak is a Southeast-Asian Artocarpus fruit closely related to jackfruit, valued in food-composition databases as an energy-moderate, fiber- and potassium-containing fruit with appreciable vitamin C and carotenoids. The direct human evidence base is essentially absent: published studies are overwhelmingly phytochemical and in-vitro/in-vivo (animal/cell) work, not clinical trials in people. Laboratory studies consistently show that its phenolic-rich extracts (especially peel and seed) have strong antioxidant capacity, and isolated prenylated flavonoids and stilbenes display potent tyrosinase inhibition and antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. The seed is a documented source of resistant starch with prebiotic, probiotic-promoting effects in vitro. Genus-level human data are stronger only for the sister species: a small randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of green-jackfruit flour (Artocarpus heterophyllus) lowered HbA1c and fasting/postprandial glucose in type 2 diabetes, and broader meta-analytic data show fruit modestly lowers fasting glucose. None of these clinical findings have been replicated with cempedak itself, so all human-health claims for this specific fruit remain preliminary and extrapolated. It is best regarded as a nutritious whole fruit with promising but pre-clinical bioactive chemistry.
What is the typical dose of Cempedak?
1 serving of fresh pulp, roughly 100 g (about 4-6 arils)
Is Cempedak safe? Any cautions or side effects?
Cempedak is a high-carbohydrate, moderate-energy fruit (~117 kcal/100 g) and can raise blood glucose; people with diabetes should portion-control and monitor. As a Moraceae/Artocarpus fruit it shares allergens with jackfruit and may cross-react in those with latex-fruit or birch-pollen (PR-10/profilin) allergy or jackfruit allergy. The aromatic latex/sap can be irritating and sticky; seeds are typically boiled or roasted before eating. Bioactive extracts (concentrated flavonoids/stilbenes) are not the same as eating the fruit and have not been tested for safety or drug interactions in humans—avoid medicinal-dose extracts without supervision, particularly alongside antidiabetic or antimalarial drugs.
How many studies support Cempedak?
NutriDex cites 10 sources for Cempedak, graded "Preliminary".
Cite this page
APA
Peh, D. (2026). Cempedak (Artocarpus integer): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/cempedak
BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_cempedak,
author = {Peh, Daryl},
title = {Cempedak (Artocarpus integer): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
url = {https://nutridex.info/s/cempedak},
note = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-09-16}
}
For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.