What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
Nutrition per serving 1 medium (100 g edible flesh)
Water83.9 g84%
Sugars9.5 g10%
Fibre1.1 g1%
Other carbs3.1 g3%
Protein0.7 g1%
Fat1 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.
Santol (Sandoricum koetjape) is a fruit used for antioxidant / free-radical scavenging (in vitro). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Santol (cotton fruit) is a Southeast Asian Meliaceae fruit eaten fresh, candied, or in preserves; the edible aril is low in calories and a useful source of potassium with modest vitamin C. Essentially all published bioactivity research is preclinical — in vitro assays, isolated-compound chemistry, and a handful of animal models — rather than human trials, so health claims remain hypotheses. The most-studied molecule is koetjapic acid, a seco-A-ring triterpene from the stem bark that induces apoptosis in colon-cancer cell lines and, as its water-soluble salt potassium koetjapate, inhibits tumor growth in mouse xenografts. Fruit-peel (exocarp) extracts rich in proanthocyanidins are antioxidant and antibacterial in vitro, and leaf cycloartane triterpenoids inhibit alpha-glucosidase more potently than acarbose in test tubes, while stem triterpenes blunt TPA-induced inflammation in mice. No randomized controlled trials in people exist for any of these endpoints; most active compounds come from bark or leaf rather than the edible flesh, and effective doses are far above what eating the fruit provides. Santol is best regarded as a nutritious tropical fruit with intriguing but unproven medicinal potential.
The hard seeds are indigestible and have caused intestinal obstruction, perforation, and abscesses when swallowed — repeatedly documented in surgical case reports from the Philippines (including cases as recent as 2023) — so spit them out. Bark and root preparations are not the same as the edible flesh and can be toxic; medicinal extracts are unstandardized. A 2025 lab study found high-dose santol flesh extract impaired climbing and adult emergence in fruit flies, underscoring that concentrated extracts are not equivalent to eating the fruit. Diabetics on acarbose or other glucose-lowering drugs should note theoretical additive effects from large extract doses. As with any high-potassium food, people with advanced kidney disease should moderate intake. No human safety or drug-interaction trials have been conducted. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Santol with any medicine.
Santol is most often taken for Antioxidant / free-radical scavenging (in vitro), Anti-inflammatory activity (preclinical), Antimicrobial / antibacterial effects (in vitro), Anticancer signaling (preclinical, bark-derived compounds). Tart tropical fruit rich in limonoids
Does Santol work — what does the evidence say?
Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Santol (cotton fruit) is a Southeast Asian Meliaceae fruit eaten fresh, candied, or in preserves; the edible aril is low in calories and a useful source of potassium with modest vitamin C. Essentially all published bioactivity research is preclinical — in vitro assays, isolated-compound chemistry, and a handful of animal models — rather than human trials, so health claims remain hypotheses. The most-studied molecule is koetjapic acid, a seco-A-ring triterpene from the stem bark that induces apoptosis in colon-cancer cell lines and, as its water-soluble salt potassium koetjapate, inhibits tumor growth in mouse xenografts. Fruit-peel (exocarp) extracts rich in proanthocyanidins are antioxidant and antibacterial in vitro, and leaf cycloartane triterpenoids inhibit alpha-glucosidase more potently than acarbose in test tubes, while stem triterpenes blunt TPA-induced inflammation in mice. No randomized controlled trials in people exist for any of these endpoints; most active compounds come from bark or leaf rather than the edible flesh, and effective doses are far above what eating the fruit provides. Santol is best regarded as a nutritious tropical fruit with intriguing but unproven medicinal potential.
What is the typical dose of Santol?
1 medium fruit (~100 g edible flesh); traditional use is as fresh fruit, candied, or preserved. No medicinal dose is established for humans.
Is Santol safe? Any cautions or side effects?
The hard seeds are indigestible and have caused intestinal obstruction, perforation, and abscesses when swallowed — repeatedly documented in surgical case reports from the Philippines (including cases as recent as 2023) — so spit them out. Bark and root preparations are not the same as the edible flesh and can be toxic; medicinal extracts are unstandardized. A 2025 lab study found high-dose santol flesh extract impaired climbing and adult emergence in fruit flies, underscoring that concentrated extracts are not equivalent to eating the fruit. Diabetics on acarbose or other glucose-lowering drugs should note theoretical additive effects from large extract doses. As with any high-potassium food, people with advanced kidney disease should moderate intake. No human safety or drug-interaction trials have been conducted.
How many studies support Santol?
NutriDex cites 8 sources for Santol, graded "Preliminary".
Cite this page
APA
Peh, D. (2026). Santol (Sandoricum koetjape): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/santol
BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_santol,
author = {Peh, Daryl},
title = {Santol (Sandoricum koetjape): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
url = {https://nutridex.info/s/santol},
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.