Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
9 verified / 9
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
Nutrition per serving 1 medium (235 g)
- Water 186.6 g80%
- Sugars 30.2 g13%
- Fibre 7.1 g3%
- Other carbs 4.3 g2%
- Protein 3.7 g2%
- Fat 1.6 g1%
176 kcal3.7 g protein7.1 g fiber1.6 g fat
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 30 mg | 33% |
| Fiber | 7.1 g | 25% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 674 mg | 14% |
| Magnesium | 40 mg | 10% |
| Thiamin | 0.2 mg | 19% |
| Folate | 54 mcg | 14% |
| Riboflavin | 0.3 mg | 23% |
| Calcium | 24 mg | 2% |
Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗
What is Cherimoya?
Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is a fruit used for antioxidant capacity from polyphenols, proanthocyanidins and vitamin c (lab/in vitro). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Cherimoya verified. One material nutrition error fixed (sugar 41.6 to 30.2 g) and one duplicate/mislabeled citation replaced; evidence tier and goal hubs confirmed conservative.
Purported Benefits
✓Antioxidant capacity from polyphenols, proanthocyanidins and vitamin C (lab/in vitro)
✓Source of dietary fiber that may support digestive regularity and satiety
✓Vitamin C contribution supporting normal immune function and collagen synthesis
✓Potassium content relevant to blood-pressure/electrolyte balance (extrapolated from nutrient role)
✓Annonaceous acetogenins and seed extracts show in vitro cytotoxic/antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines (mechanistic only)
✓Moderate glycemic impact relative to sweetness, attributed to fiber (not confirmed in human trials)
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
1 medium fruit (~235 g edible pulp); pulp only, never seeds or peel
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
Seeds and peel contain concentrated neurotoxic acetogenins (annonacin) and alkaloids and should never be eaten; crushed seeds are toxic and have irritant/insecticidal properties. Habitual or heavy consumption of Annonaceae fruits has been epidemiologically associated with atypical parkinsonism and worsened parkinsonian/cognitive outcomes (notably in the French Caribbean); people with Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism should be cautious and likely avoid regular intake. Annonaceae dietary supplements/extracts are not advised. Due to potassium content, those with advanced kidney disease or on potassium-restricted diets should moderate intake. Eat ripe pulp only; spit out seeds. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Cherimoya with any medicine.
Key Studies
Analytical composition study
Albuquerque 2016
✓ PubMed
Nutritional/phytochemical profiling of four cherimoya cultivars (pulp, peel, seeds): lutein the predominant carotenoid (129-232 ug/100g); peel showed strongest antioxidant capacity (EC50 0.97 mg/mL), supporting by-product valorization.
Clinical cohort/case-control
Cleret de Langavant 2022
✓ PubMed
In 180 Caribbean parkinsonian patients, even low cumulative Annonaceae fruit/juice intake (OR 3.76) or Annonaceae herbal tea (OR 2.91) was associated with greater disease severity and cognitive deficits.
In vitro cancer cell study
Macuer-Guzman 2023
✓ Full text
A. cherimola seed ethanol extract (containing annonacin/annonacinone) triggered early apoptosis and selective anti-clonogenic activity against the human gastric carcinoma cell line SNU-1 while sparing normal gastric cells (in vitro).
Multi-cultivar nutraceutical analysis
Gentile 2020
✓ Full text
Across seven cherimoya cultivars, Chaffey had the highest total polyphenols and antioxidant activity and Daniela the highest proanthocyanidins, identifying these as superior nutraceutical sources versus the commercial Fino de Jete.
Phytochemical/bioactivity study
Mannino 2020
✓ Full text
Phytochemical profiling of cherimoya and atemoya leaves identified 18 compounds (flavonoids/alkaloids) with high proanthocyanidin content (up to 132 mg PAC-A eq/100g) and antioxidant plus antiproliferative activity against HeLa/HepG2 cells.
In vitro cancer cell study
Haykal 2019
✓ Full text
Annona cherimola seed ethanolic extract dose- and time-dependently inhibited three acute myeloid leukemia cell lines via intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, with minimal effect on normal mesenchymal stem cells (in vitro).
In vitro neurotoxicity study
Hollerhage 2015
✓ PubMed
Annonaceae-derived dietary supplements (including A. squamosa x cherimola) reduced viability of cultured human dopaminergic neurons at extract concentrations as low as 0.1-1 ug/mL, indicating neurotoxic potential.
Analytical phenolic profiling
Garcia-Salas 2015
✓ Full text
HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS profiling of two cherimoya cultivars identified 21 polar compounds in the edible pulp, 37 in peel and 22 in seed; procyanidins were the dominant phenolics in pulp and peel.
Antioxidant analytical study
Loizzo 2012
✓ Full text
Cherimoya peel and pulp phenolics (peel 14.6, pulp 12.6 mg chlorogenic-acid eq/100g) correlated with radical-scavenging, antioxidant and metal-chelating activity; peel was the most potent fraction.