NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Langsat / Duku

Lansium parasiticum

Translucent Southeast Asian fruit, antioxidant peel chemistry

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 serving, ~5 fruits (65 g)

65gSERVING
  • Water 58.5 g91%
  • Sugars 3.8 g6%
  • Fibre 0.6 g1%
  • Other carbs 0.9 g1%
  • Protein 0.3 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C10%Iron4%Fiber2%Riboflavin (B2)2%Phosphorus1%Calcium1%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
22 kcal0.3 g protein0.6 g fiber0 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C8.7 mg10%
Iron0.65 mg4%
Fiber0.6 g2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.02 mg2%
Phosphorus13 mg1%
Calcium6.5 mg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.05 mg4%
Niacin (B3)0.3 mg2%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Langsat / Duku?

Langsat / Duku (Lansium parasiticum) is a fruit used for free-radical scavenging and protection of cellular dna from oxidative damage (in vitro). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Langsat (duku/lanzones) is a low-calorie tropical fruit whose edible aril supplies modest amounts of vitamin C, B-vitamins, and fiber, but no dedicated USDA Foundation/SR entry exists, so composition figures derive from regional food tables and review papers and vary widely by cultivar (e.g. reported water 83–90 g, carbohydrate 8–15 g, and vitamin C 13–46 mg per 100 g). Nearly all published bioactivity research is preclinical: peel and seed fractions show free-radical scavenging, protect human TK6 cells against H2O2-induced DNA damage in comet assays, and contain triterpenoids with antimalarial, antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activity in vitro. The antimalarial and antifeedant/insecticidal effects are among the best-characterized, with seed tetranortriterpenoids inhibiting Plasmodium falciparum at IC50 values around 2–10 µg/mL. However, these active compounds are concentrated in the inedible peel and bitter seeds rather than the sweet pulp people actually eat, and there are essentially no human clinical trials. Traditional uses (diarrhea, fever, eye inflammation, malaria, mosquito repellent) are documented but not validated in controlled human studies. Overall the weight of human evidence is preliminary, and health claims should be treated as hypotheses rather than established benefits.

Purported Benefits

✓Free-radical scavenging and protection of cellular DNA from oxidative damage (in vitro)
✓Antimalarial activity of seed/peel triterpenoids against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium (in vitro)
✓Antibacterial and antifungal activity of peel-derived onoceranoid triterpenes and lansiosides (e.g. lansioside D vs S. aureus/MRSA, in vitro)
✓Cytotoxic activity of tetranortriterpenoids against cancer cell lines (in vitro)
✓Traditional digestive and antipyretic use (diarrhea, dysentery, fever)
✓Insecticidal / mosquito-larvicidal and antifeedant activity of extracts

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
A typical serving is about 5 fruits (~65 g of translucent edible aril, peel and seeds discarded).
Active Compounds
Onoceranoid triterpenes (lansiosides A–D, methyl lansioside C)Tetranortriterpenoids / limonoids (dukunolides, domesticulides, kokosanolides, langsatides)Lansic acid and bicyclic triterpene acidsPhenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, scopoletin)Flavonoids (rutin)Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)B-vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, niacin)Dietary fiber (pectin-type polysaccharides)

Safety & Cautions

The aril is generally safe as food. Seeds are intensely bitter and contain toxic/biologically active limonoids — do not swallow or eat them. Peel and seed extracts (the parts studied for bioactivity) are not validated for human consumption and should not be self-administered, especially in pregnancy or with antimalarial/other medications, as interactions and toxicity are uncharacterized. As a sweet fruit it contributes free sugars; people with diabetes should account for portion size. Imported fruit may carry surface contaminants — wash before peeling. No well-documented common food allergy, but cross-reactivity within the Meliaceae family is theoretically possible. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Langsat / Duku with any medicine.

Key Studies

Review Abdallah 2022 ✓ PubMed
Comprehensive review (data 1931–2021) cataloguing L. domesticum nutritional value, terpenoids/phenolics, and bioactivities (antimalarial, antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, larvicidal); compositional tables vary by cultivar (langsat/duku/longkong) and evidence is overwhelmingly preclinical.
Review Mayanti 2022 ✓ PubMed
Review reporting >80 compounds isolated from L. domesticum (mainly terpenoids and glycosides) with antimalarial, antifeedant, antimicrobial/antibacterial, radical-scavenging and anticancer activities.
In vitro study Mayanti 2023 ✓ Full text
Two new onoceranoid triterpenes (kokosanolides E, F) from fruit peel and a new tetranortriterpenoid (kokosanolide G) from seeds; compounds showed moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells (IC50 45.9 and 18.4 µg/mL).
In vitro study Klungsupya 2015 ✓ Full text
L. domesticum (longkong) peel fractions showed stronger radical scavenging than seeds; the lead 50% ethanol/ethyl-acetate peel fraction at the highest tested concentration gave 53.5% inhibition of H2O2-induced DNA damage in human TK6 cells (comet assay); key phenolics were scopoletin, rutin, chlorogenic acid.
In vitro study Mayanti 2011 ✓ Full text
Antifeedant triterpenoids (including kokosanolides) isolated from the seeds and bark of L. domesticum cv Kokossan showed moderate-to-strong antifeedant activity against Epilachna vigintioctopunctata larvae.
In vitro study Saewan 2006 ✓ PubMed
Five new tetranortriterpenoids (domesticulides A–E) plus 11 known triterpenoids from L. domesticum seeds; eight compounds showed antimalarial activity against P. falciparum with IC50 of 2.4–9.7 µg/mL.
In vitro study Yapp 2003 ✓ PubMed
Skin and aqueous leaf extracts of L. domesticum reduced parasitemia of drug-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (T9) P. falciparum equally well and interrupted the parasite lifecycle in vitro.
Phytochemical study Nishizawa 1982 ✓ Full text
Isolation and structure elucidation of lansioside A, a novel triterpene glycoside bearing an amino-sugar, from L. domesticum (founding member of the lansioside onoceranoid series); Tetrahedron Letters 23(13):1349–1350.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Langsat / Duku

What is Langsat / Duku used for?

Langsat / Duku is most often taken for Free-radical scavenging and protection of cellular DNA from oxidative damage (in vitro), Antimalarial activity of seed/peel triterpenoids against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium (in vitro), Antibacterial and antifungal activity of peel-derived onoceranoid triterpenes and lansiosides (e.g. lansioside D vs S. aureus/MRSA, in vitro), Cytotoxic activity of tetranortriterpenoids against cancer cell lines (in vitro). Translucent Southeast Asian fruit, antioxidant peel chemistry

Does Langsat / Duku work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Langsat (duku/lanzones) is a low-calorie tropical fruit whose edible aril supplies modest amounts of vitamin C, B-vitamins, and fiber, but no dedicated USDA Foundation/SR entry exists, so composition figures derive from regional food tables and review papers and vary widely by cultivar (e.g. reported water 83–90 g, carbohydrate 8–15 g, and vitamin C 13–46 mg per 100 g). Nearly all published bioactivity research is preclinical: peel and seed fractions show free-radical scavenging, protect human TK6 cells against H2O2-induced DNA damage in comet assays, and contain triterpenoids with antimalarial, antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activity in vitro. The antimalarial and antifeedant/insecticidal effects are among the best-characterized, with seed tetranortriterpenoids inhibiting Plasmodium falciparum at IC50 values around 2–10 µg/mL. However, these active compounds are concentrated in the inedible peel and bitter seeds rather than the sweet pulp people actually eat, and there are essentially no human clinical trials. Traditional uses (diarrhea, fever, eye inflammation, malaria, mosquito repellent) are documented but not validated in controlled human studies. Overall the weight of human evidence is preliminary, and health claims should be treated as hypotheses rather than established benefits.

What is the typical dose of Langsat / Duku?

A typical serving is about 5 fruits (~65 g of translucent edible aril, peel and seeds discarded).

Is Langsat / Duku safe? Any cautions or side effects?

The aril is generally safe as food. Seeds are intensely bitter and contain toxic/biologically active limonoids — do not swallow or eat them. Peel and seed extracts (the parts studied for bioactivity) are not validated for human consumption and should not be self-administered, especially in pregnancy or with antimalarial/other medications, as interactions and toxicity are uncharacterized. As a sweet fruit it contributes free sugars; people with diabetes should account for portion size. Imported fruit may carry surface contaminants — wash before peeling. No well-documented common food allergy, but cross-reactivity within the Meliaceae family is theoretically possible.

How many studies support Langsat / Duku?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Langsat / Duku, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Langsat / Duku (Lansium parasiticum): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/langsat-duku

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_langsat_duku,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Langsat / Duku (Lansium parasiticum): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/langsat-duku},
  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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