What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
Nutrition per serving 1 medium (100 g edible aril)
Water85 g86%
Sugars11 g11%
Fibre1.1 g1%
Other carbs0.9 g1%
Protein0.8 g1%
Fat0.6 g1%
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.
Pulasan (Nephelium ramboutan-ake) is a fruit used for source of vitamin c supporting normal immune function and collagen synthesis. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Pulasan is a Southeast Asian relative of rambutan whose edible aril is sweet, watery, and a modest source of vitamin C (~14–24 mg/100 g per Indonesian agronomic surveys). Virtually all of its purported health properties come from in vitro work on the inedible peel, leaf and seed, not the pulp: peel methanol extract is powerfully antioxidant and rich in phenolics and hydrolyzable tannins, and an aqueous rind fraction triggered mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in HT-29 colorectal and other cancer cell lines (IC50 ~16.7 µg/mL), an effect the authors linked to tannins and saponins. Seed-protein peptides inhibit the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme α-amylase, suggesting anti-diabetic potential. However, there are no human clinical trials, no animal feeding studies of the fruit, and most bioactivity data concern processing by-products rather than what people actually eat. The fruit is therefore best viewed as a nutritious whole food with promising but entirely preliminary, mechanism-level pharmacological signals. Composition data are limited and come from agronomic surveys and a single genus review, as pulasan is not catalogued in USDA FoodData Central.
Purported Benefits
✓Source of vitamin C supporting normal immune function and collagen synthesis
✓Polyphenol- and tannin-rich peel shows strong in vitro antioxidant (free-radical scavenging) capacity
✓Seed and rind extracts show in vitro anti-hyperglycemic potential via α-amylase/α-glucosidase inhibition
✓Aqueous rind fraction induces apoptosis in cultured cancer cell lines (in vitro only)
✓Leaf and peel extracts show in vitro antibacterial activity
✓Provides water and a modest amount of dietary fiber for a refreshing low-fat fruit
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
1–3 fresh fruits (~50–150 g edible aril); no studied therapeutic dose
Active Compounds
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)Hydrolyzable tannins / ellagitannins (geraniin, corilagin — characteristic of Nephelium peel)Ellagic acid and gallic acidFlavonoids (rutin, quercetin, flavan-3-ols)Total phenolics (up to ~306 mg GAE/g in peel methanol extract)Saponins (concentrated in rind/seed)Seed-protein bioactive peptides (α-amylase inhibitory)
Safety & Cautions
⚠
Generally regarded as a safe edible fruit with no documented toxicity or drug interactions. The seed is not eaten raw, and the rind/seed/leaf extracts studied for bioactivity are not the edible portion — do not self-prepare concentrated peel or seed preparations. Diabetics should not rely on it for glucose control given the complete absence of human data. As with any sugary tropical fruit, account for its sugar/carbohydrate load. Allergy is theoretically possible but unreported. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Pulasan with any medicine.
Pulasan is most often taken for Source of vitamin C supporting normal immune function and collagen synthesis, Polyphenol- and tannin-rich peel shows strong in vitro antioxidant (free-radical scavenging) capacity, Seed and rind extracts show in vitro anti-hyperglycemic potential via α-amylase/α-glucosidase inhibition, Aqueous rind fraction induces apoptosis in cultured cancer cell lines (in vitro only). Rambutan's sweeter, lab-curious tropical cousin
Does Pulasan work — what does the evidence say?
Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Pulasan is a Southeast Asian relative of rambutan whose edible aril is sweet, watery, and a modest source of vitamin C (~14–24 mg/100 g per Indonesian agronomic surveys). Virtually all of its purported health properties come from in vitro work on the inedible peel, leaf and seed, not the pulp: peel methanol extract is powerfully antioxidant and rich in phenolics and hydrolyzable tannins, and an aqueous rind fraction triggered mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in HT-29 colorectal and other cancer cell lines (IC50 ~16.7 µg/mL), an effect the authors linked to tannins and saponins. Seed-protein peptides inhibit the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme α-amylase, suggesting anti-diabetic potential. However, there are no human clinical trials, no animal feeding studies of the fruit, and most bioactivity data concern processing by-products rather than what people actually eat. The fruit is therefore best viewed as a nutritious whole food with promising but entirely preliminary, mechanism-level pharmacological signals. Composition data are limited and come from agronomic surveys and a single genus review, as pulasan is not catalogued in USDA FoodData Central.
What is the typical dose of Pulasan?
1–3 fresh fruits (~50–150 g edible aril); no studied therapeutic dose
Is Pulasan safe? Any cautions or side effects?
Generally regarded as a safe edible fruit with no documented toxicity or drug interactions. The seed is not eaten raw, and the rind/seed/leaf extracts studied for bioactivity are not the edible portion — do not self-prepare concentrated peel or seed preparations. Diabetics should not rely on it for glucose control given the complete absence of human data. As with any sugary tropical fruit, account for its sugar/carbohydrate load. Allergy is theoretically possible but unreported.
How many studies support Pulasan?
NutriDex cites 11 sources for Pulasan, graded "Preliminary".
Cite this page
APA
Peh, D. (2026). Pulasan (Nephelium ramboutan-ake): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/pulasan
BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_pulasan,
author = {Peh, Daryl},
title = {Pulasan (Nephelium ramboutan-ake): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
url = {https://nutridex.info/s/pulasan},
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.