NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
🐍

Salak (Snake Fruit)

Salacca zalacca

Scaly Indonesian palm fruit rich in polyphenols

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
10 verified / 10
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium fruit (50 g edible)

50gSERVING
  • Water 39 g78%
  • Sugars 9 g18%
  • Fibre 1 g2%
  • Other carbs 0.5 g1%
  • Protein 0.3 g1%
  • Fat 0.2 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C5%Potassium3%Iron11%Calcium1%Fiber4%Riboflavin (B2)8%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
41 kcal0.3 g protein1 g fiber0.2 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C4.2 mg5%
Potassium128 mg3%
Iron2 mg11%
Calcium14 mg1%
Fiber1 g4%
Riboflavin (B2)0.1 mg8%
Phosphorus9 mg1%
Beta-carotene2 µg0%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Salak (Snake Fruit)?

Salak (Snake Fruit) (Salacca zalacca) is a fruit used for antioxidant capacity (high polyphenol content; strong dpph/abts radical scavenging in pulp and peel, in vitro). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Salak is an Indonesian palm fruit whose health reputation rests almost entirely on laboratory and animal data rather than human trials. Pulp and especially peel are rich in phenolic acids (chlorogenic, caffeic, ferulic) and organic acids, giving strong in vitro antioxidant (DPPH/ABTS) and antimicrobial activity. Fruit and seed extracts inhibit alpha-glucosidase and intestinal glucose uptake in vitro and lower blood glucose in obese-diabetic and STZ-nicotinamide rodent models, supporting the traditional antidiabetic use, but no human glycemic trial exists. The single registered human RCT (n=71) tested a snake-fruit-infused massage oil with Thai massage and found no overall skin benefit over plain coconut oil, with elasticity and melanin improvements attributable to the massage itself. Popular memory-fruit and anti-cancer claims are extrapolations from nutrient content with no clinical confirmation. As a whole food it is a reasonable low-fat source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C, but evidence for specific disease benefits in people remains preliminary. Composition also varies substantially by cultivar (e.g. Pondoh, Bali, Gading).

Purported Benefits

✓Antioxidant capacity (high polyphenol content; strong DPPH/ABTS radical scavenging in pulp and peel, in vitro)
✓Possible postprandial glucose control via alpha-glucosidase inhibition and reduced intestinal glucose uptake (in vitro and rodent studies only)
✓Traditional antidiabetic use with supporting rodent blood-glucose and metabolomic data, but no human glycemic trial
✓Whole-food source of dietary fiber/pectin and potassium for digestive and vascular support
✓Antimicrobial phenolic acids (chlorogenic, caffeic, ferulic) concentrated in peel and pulp, in vitro
✓Skin/anti-aging activity in UV-stressed human fibroblasts; the one human RCT (massage oil) showed no benefit beyond plain coconut oil

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1-3 fresh fruits (~50-150 g edible flesh) as a snack; no established therapeutic dose for extracts
Active Compounds
Phenolic acids — chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, coumaric acidFlavonoids and condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins)Organic acids — malic acid (dominant), plus citric acidVitamin C (ascorbic acid)Carotenoids — including beta-caroteneDietary fiber and pectinMinerals — potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorusB vitamins — thiamin, riboflavin, niacin

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe as a food. High tannin and fiber content and astringency may contribute to constipation if eaten in large amounts; the cut flesh oxidizes and browns quickly due to a membrane-bound polyphenoloxidase. Antidiabetic extract activity is unproven in humans — do not substitute for diabetes medication, and people on glucose-lowering drugs should monitor for additive effects if consuming concentrated extracts. No USDA Daily Value-grade composition exists (the fruit is absent from USDA FoodData Central); nutrient figures derive from the Indonesian Food Composition Table (TKPI/DKBM) and vary by cultivar, so the listed %DV values are approximate. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Salak (Snake Fruit) with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 10 studies

Randomized controlled trial (human) Intakhiao 2026 ✓ Full text
RCT (n=71): snake-fruit-extract-infused massage oil with Thai massage improved leg moisture and oiliness but showed NO overall superiority over plain coconut oil; elasticity and melanin gains occurred across all groups and were attributable to massage itself (NCT06227260)
In vitro + animal study Sato 2023 ✓ Full text
Salak seed extract non-competitively inhibited alpha-glucosidase (IC50 16.3 µg/mL) and reduced glucose uptake in Caco-2 cells, and lowered fasting blood glucose in an OGTT in STZ-nicotinamide diabetic mice (chlorogenic acid as the prominent HPLC peak)
Phytochemical / antimicrobial Coyago-Cruz 2025 ✓ Full text
During ripening, salak peel had the highest chlorogenic (705 mg/100 g DW), caffeic (321) and ferulic (173.5) acids; pulp peaked at 5.5 mmol Trolox/100 g DW antioxidant capacity (DPPH) with antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens
In vitro (human cells) Widowati 2025 ✓ Full text
S. zalacca extract (6.25-25 µg/mL) on UV-irradiated human BJ fibroblasts up-regulated anti-aging genes, raised elastin and melatonin, lowered COX-2, 8-OHdG and hyaluronidase, and reduced apoptosis
Food science / fermentation Pratiwi 2025 ✓ Full text
Malolactic co-fermentation of snakefruit vinegar with L. plantarum increased DPPH antioxidant activity and phenolic acids (caffeic, coumaric, ferulic), supporting a functional-food product
Animal study (metabolomics) Saleh 2020 ✓ Full text
60% ethanolic S. zalacca fruit extract (400 mg/kg, 6 wk) significantly lowered blood glucose and normalized blood lipid profile in obese-diabetic rats; 1H-NMR urine metabolomics showed reduced ketone bodies (3-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate) and improved energy metabolism
In vitro / phytochemical Saleh 2019 ✓ Full text
Among salak flesh extracts by different methods, a 60% ethanol ultrasound-assisted extract showed the strongest alpha-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 16.2 µg/mL); GC-MS identified phenolic acids, organic acids, fatty acids and sterols as candidate actives
In vitro chemometrics Saleh 2018 ✓ Full text
Across 36 ethanol-water salak fruit extracts, FT-IR fingerprint functional-group regions (C-H, C=O, C-N, N-H, C-O, C=C) correlated with alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity via OPLS modeling
Enzyme characterization Zaini 2012 ✓ Full text
Purified membrane-bound polyphenoloxidase from snake fruit (38 kDa monomer) drives rapid enzymatic browning; L-cysteine was the most effective inhibitor (IC50 1.3 mM), explaining the cut flesh's fast oxidation
Food chemistry (aroma) Wijaya 2005 ✓ Full text
GC-olfactometry of three salak cultivars identified 24 odor-active compounds; methyl 3-methylpentanoate is the character-impact aroma, with clear differences between Pondoh and Gading cultivars
10 sources cited · 10 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Salak (Snake Fruit)

What is Salak (Snake Fruit) used for?

Salak (Snake Fruit) is most often taken for Antioxidant capacity (high polyphenol content; strong DPPH/ABTS radical scavenging in pulp and peel, in vitro), Possible postprandial glucose control via alpha-glucosidase inhibition and reduced intestinal glucose uptake (in vitro and rodent studies only), Traditional antidiabetic use with supporting rodent blood-glucose and metabolomic data, but no human glycemic trial, Whole-food source of dietary fiber/pectin and potassium for digestive and vascular support. Scaly Indonesian palm fruit rich in polyphenols

Does Salak (Snake Fruit) work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Salak is an Indonesian palm fruit whose health reputation rests almost entirely on laboratory and animal data rather than human trials. Pulp and especially peel are rich in phenolic acids (chlorogenic, caffeic, ferulic) and organic acids, giving strong in vitro antioxidant (DPPH/ABTS) and antimicrobial activity. Fruit and seed extracts inhibit alpha-glucosidase and intestinal glucose uptake in vitro and lower blood glucose in obese-diabetic and STZ-nicotinamide rodent models, supporting the traditional antidiabetic use, but no human glycemic trial exists. The single registered human RCT (n=71) tested a snake-fruit-infused massage oil with Thai massage and found no overall skin benefit over plain coconut oil, with elasticity and melanin improvements attributable to the massage itself. Popular memory-fruit and anti-cancer claims are extrapolations from nutrient content with no clinical confirmation. As a whole food it is a reasonable low-fat source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C, but evidence for specific disease benefits in people remains preliminary. Composition also varies substantially by cultivar (e.g. Pondoh, Bali, Gading).

What is the typical dose of Salak (Snake Fruit)?

1-3 fresh fruits (~50-150 g edible flesh) as a snack; no established therapeutic dose for extracts

Is Salak (Snake Fruit) safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally safe as a food. High tannin and fiber content and astringency may contribute to constipation if eaten in large amounts; the cut flesh oxidizes and browns quickly due to a membrane-bound polyphenoloxidase. Antidiabetic extract activity is unproven in humans — do not substitute for diabetes medication, and people on glucose-lowering drugs should monitor for additive effects if consuming concentrated extracts. No USDA Daily Value-grade composition exists (the fruit is absent from USDA FoodData Central); nutrient figures derive from the Indonesian Food Composition Table (TKPI/DKBM) and vary by cultivar, so the listed %DV values are approximate.

How many studies support Salak (Snake Fruit)?

NutriDex cites 10 sources for Salak (Snake Fruit), graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Salak (Snake Fruit) (Salacca zalacca): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/salak

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_salak,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Salak (Snake Fruit) (Salacca zalacca): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/salak},
  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.

← Back to the full dex · All substances