NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Sapodilla (Ciku)

Manilkara zapota

Sweet tropical fruit rich in fiber, polyphenols

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
9 verified / 9
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium (170 g)

170gSERVING
  • Water 132.6 g78%
  • Sugars 24 g14%
  • Fibre 9 g5%
  • Other carbs 0.9 g1%
  • Protein 0.7 g0%
  • Fat 1.9 g1%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Fiber32%Vitamin C28%Copper16%Potassium7%Pantothenic acid9%Iron8%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
141 kcal0.7 g protein9 g fiber1.9 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Fiber9 g32%
Vitamin C25 mg28%
Copper0.15 mg16%
Potassium328 mg7%
Pantothenic acid0.43 mg9%
Iron1.4 mg8%
Folate24 mcg6%
Calcium36 mg3%
Magnesium20 mg5%
Niacin0.34 mg2%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Sapodilla (Ciku)?

Sapodilla (Ciku) (Manilkara zapota) is a fruit used for notable dietary fiber that supports digestive regularity and satiety. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Sapodilla is a sweet, energy-dense tropical fruit valued mainly as a source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, copper, and a high concentration of polyphenols (catechin/gallocatechin-type tannins) that give unripe fruit a notably high in-vitro antioxidant capacity. Laboratory and animal studies suggest antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, alpha-glucosidase-inhibiting (antihyperglycemic), and antiproliferative effects, with much of the strongest signal coming from leaf, bark, skin, and seed extracts rather than the edible pulp. A single rat study reported lower glycemia, insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides after fruit or leaf juice, but no randomized controlled trials in humans have tested whole-fruit consumption for any clinical outcome. Antioxidant content falls sharply as the fruit ripens, so measured bioactivity is stage-dependent and not equivalent to a health benefit in people. Overall the human evidence is preliminary: the fruit is a reasonable whole-food source of fiber and micronutrients, but specific disease-prevention or treatment claims are unproven. It is also relatively high in natural sugars, so portion matters for those managing blood glucose or weight. Treat extract-based findings as hypothesis-generating, not as evidence that eating sapodilla treats diabetes, cancer, or infection.

Purported Benefits

✓Notable dietary fiber that supports digestive regularity and satiety
✓Vitamin C and copper contributing to normal antioxidant and connective-tissue function
✓Polyphenol (catechin/gallocatechin) antioxidant capacity in vitro, highest in unripe fruit
✓Potential alpha-glucosidase inhibition / antihyperglycemic signals (preclinical, mainly leaf extract)
✓Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity of fruit and leaf extracts (lab/animal)
✓Antiproliferative effects against cancer cell lines (in vitro, leaf/skin/seed extracts)

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1 medium fruit (~170 g); ~100-170 g fresh ripe pulp
Active Compounds
Hydrolysable tannins (gallotannins, ellagitannins)Flavan-3-ols (catechin, gallocatechin, epicatechin, procyanidins)Phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuic/3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid)Flavonoids (quercetin glycosides, dihydrokaempferol)Triterpenoids (lupeol acetate, taraxerol, taraxerone)Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)Soluble and insoluble dietary fiberMinerals (potassium, copper, iron, calcium)

Safety & Cautions

Unripe fruit is high in astringent tannins and latex that can cause mouth irritation, throat discomfort, and digestive upset; only fully ripe fruit should be eaten. The seeds contain saponin and the alkaloid sapotinin and have a hooked end, so swallowing several crushed seeds can cause abdominal pain and vomiting; seeds should be removed. The fruit and tree latex can trigger allergic reactions in latex-sensitive individuals. It is sugar- and calorie-dense (~141 kcal, ~25 g sugar per medium 170 g fruit), warranting portion control in diabetes and weight management. Medicinal leaf/bark extracts are not the same as eating the fruit, are not established as safe supplements, and have no human-dose or drug-interaction data. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Sapodilla (Ciku) with any medicine.

Key Studies

Systematic review (preclinical) Febriza 2024 ✓ Full text
Review of preclinical data concluding M. zapota tannins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids exert antibacterial activity by disrupting bacterial cell walls/membranes, supporting its traditional anti-infective use.
Animal study Mohd Tamsir 2024 ✓ Full text
In AOM/DSS-induced colitis-associated colon cancer in BALB/c mice, M. zapota leaf aqueous extract improved disease activity, reduced ROS and TNF-alpha/IL-6, and raised SOD.
In vitro study Escobar-Ramirez 2025 ✓ Full text
Methanolic extracts of M. zapota skin/seed had high phenolic content and ABTS antioxidant capacity; the skin extract showed strong antiproliferative activity against human colon (HCT116) and prostate (DU145) cancer cells.
In vitro study Islam 2020 ✓ Full text
Ethanol extract of M. zapota leaves inhibited alpha-glucosidase at low concentration (IC50 2.51 ug/mL) and increased glucose uptake in C2C12 cells by ~42% at 30 ug/mL, indicating antihyperglycemic potential.
Animal study Barbalho 2015 ✓ Full text
In Wistar rats, M. zapota fruit or leaf juice over 50 days significantly lowered glycemia, insulin, leptin, cholesterol, and triglycerides and raised HDL-c; fruit pulp reduced percentage weight gain.
In vitro study Pientaweeratch 2016 ✓ Full text
Among amla, sapota and silymarin, sapota (M. zapota) fruit extract showed the highest anti-collagenase (MMP-1, MMP-2) and anti-elastase activity (elastase IC50 35.7 ug/mL) with moderate antioxidant effect.
In vitro study Chunhakant 2019 ✓ Full text
From M. zapota bark, (+)-dihydrokaempferol showed antityrosinase activity exceeding kojic acid/arbutin plus strong DPPH, ABTS and FRAP antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity across several carcinoma cell lines.
In vitro study Tan 2018 ✓ Full text
M. zapota leaf water extract induced apoptosis in HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells, activating caspase-3/-8 and modulating the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in a concentration-dependent manner.
Analytical/in vitro study Shui 2004 ✓ Full text
Antioxidants in ciku (M. zapota) fruit were characterized by HPLC-MS and attributed mainly to catechin/gallocatechin-type polyphenols; antioxidant capacity and total phenolics fell sharply during storage/ripening.
9 sources cited · 9 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Sapodilla (Ciku)

What is Sapodilla (Ciku) used for?

Sapodilla (Ciku) is most often taken for Notable dietary fiber that supports digestive regularity and satiety, Vitamin C and copper contributing to normal antioxidant and connective-tissue function, Polyphenol (catechin/gallocatechin) antioxidant capacity in vitro, highest in unripe fruit, Potential alpha-glucosidase inhibition / antihyperglycemic signals (preclinical, mainly leaf extract). Sweet tropical fruit rich in fiber, polyphenols

Does Sapodilla (Ciku) work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Sapodilla is a sweet, energy-dense tropical fruit valued mainly as a source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, copper, and a high concentration of polyphenols (catechin/gallocatechin-type tannins) that give unripe fruit a notably high in-vitro antioxidant capacity. Laboratory and animal studies suggest antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, alpha-glucosidase-inhibiting (antihyperglycemic), and antiproliferative effects, with much of the strongest signal coming from leaf, bark, skin, and seed extracts rather than the edible pulp. A single rat study reported lower glycemia, insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides after fruit or leaf juice, but no randomized controlled trials in humans have tested whole-fruit consumption for any clinical outcome. Antioxidant content falls sharply as the fruit ripens, so measured bioactivity is stage-dependent and not equivalent to a health benefit in people. Overall the human evidence is preliminary: the fruit is a reasonable whole-food source of fiber and micronutrients, but specific disease-prevention or treatment claims are unproven. It is also relatively high in natural sugars, so portion matters for those managing blood glucose or weight. Treat extract-based findings as hypothesis-generating, not as evidence that eating sapodilla treats diabetes, cancer, or infection.

What is the typical dose of Sapodilla (Ciku)?

1 medium fruit (~170 g); ~100-170 g fresh ripe pulp

Is Sapodilla (Ciku) safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Unripe fruit is high in astringent tannins and latex that can cause mouth irritation, throat discomfort, and digestive upset; only fully ripe fruit should be eaten. The seeds contain saponin and the alkaloid sapotinin and have a hooked end, so swallowing several crushed seeds can cause abdominal pain and vomiting; seeds should be removed. The fruit and tree latex can trigger allergic reactions in latex-sensitive individuals. It is sugar- and calorie-dense (~141 kcal, ~25 g sugar per medium 170 g fruit), warranting portion control in diabetes and weight management. Medicinal leaf/bark extracts are not the same as eating the fruit, are not established as safe supplements, and have no human-dose or drug-interaction data.

How many studies support Sapodilla (Ciku)?

NutriDex cites 9 sources for Sapodilla (Ciku), graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Sapodilla (Ciku) (Manilkara zapota): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/sapodilla

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_sapodilla,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Sapodilla (Ciku) (Manilkara zapota): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/sapodilla},
  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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