Casimiroa edulis is a species indigenous to temperate zones of Mexico and Central America, and it is popularly called ‘‘Zapote Blanco,’’ which has been known since pre-Hispanic times.
Casimiroa edulis or Zapote blanco (also written as sapote blanco) is a beautiful tree not only for its ornamental loveliness but also because of its medicinal value. In Mexico and Central America C. edulis is regarded as a potent treatment for rheumatic and arthritic pain. Zapote is often referred to as “sleepy zapote” because it was employed as a sleep aid and a sedative.
Zapote has sedative-like effects and it’s used as a sleep inducer. Its leaves have anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anticonvulsant, antimutagenic, and sedative activities. It is also high in phenolic antioxidants.
C. edulis seeds contain a phytochemical called zapotin, which has shown potent anticancer activity and chemopreventive activity. Chemoprevention is the use of either synthetic drugs or natural products to inhibit, reverse, or suppress the development of invasive malignant cancer, either by blocking the DNA damage that initiates carcinogenesis or by arresting or reversing the progression of premalignant cells in which DNA damage has already started. Chemoprevention is one of the most direct ways to reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality.
Awaad, A., El-Sayed, N., Maitland, D., & Mabry, T. (2006). Phenolic Antioxidants fromCasimiroa edulis. Leaves. Pharmaceutical Biology, 44(4), 258–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880200600713899
Awaad, A. S., Maitland, D. J., & Moneir, S. M. (2007). New alkaloids from Casimiroa edulis fruits and their pharmacological activity. Chemistry of Natural Compounds, 43(5), 576–580. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10600-007-0196-9
Herbal Safety. (2015). Zapote Blanco. https://www.utep.edu/herbal-safety/hechos-herbarios/hojas-de-datos-a-base-de-hierbas/zapote-blanco.html
Maiti, A., Cuendet, M., Kondratyuk, T., Croy, V. L., Pezzuto, J. M., & Cushman, M. (2007). Synthesis and Cancer Chemopreventive Activity of Zapotin, a Natural Product fromCasimiroaedulis. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 50(2), 350–355. https://doi.org/10.1021/jm060915+
You can eat the fruit but also use the seeds to prepare liquid extracts or crush them for topical application. The leaves also can be applied topically.