What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
Nutrition per serving 1 serving, ~5 fruits (65 g)
Water58.5 g91%
Sugars3.8 g6%
Fibre0.6 g1%
Other carbs0.9 g1%
Protein0.3 g0%
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.
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).
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.
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 16 Sept 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 2026-09-16}
}
For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.