Bencao Gangmu Reference Library
人心果 / 萨摩果 / 仁心果 / 查古果 — Manilkara zapota (L.) P.Royen (syn. Achras zapota)
Pinyin: Rénxīnguǒ / Sàmóguǒ · Malay: Ciku / Chiku / Buah Ciku · Family: Sapotaceae (山榄科)
Energetics
Cool to Neutral (平 / 微凉)
Flavor
Sweet, malty rich brown-sugar taste, slightly astringent (甘、微涩、浓甜如红糖)
Meridians
Lung (肺), Spleen (脾), Stomach (胃), Large Intestine (大肠)
Traditional Edict
Sapodilla (Ciku / Ren Xin Guo). Brown heart-shaped fruit with sweet brown-sugar pulp. Ripe fruit moistens dry consumptive coughs and quenches throat dryness; unripe fruit and bark powerfully astringe intestines to stop severe watery diarrhea and bleeding.
Cautions & Contraindications
- Do not consume unripe raw fruits in large quantities (high tannins cause constipation). High dietary safety in ripe fruits. Contraindicated in acute spastic constipation with dry hard stools.
Clinical Applications
- Chronic dry tracheobronchitis, smoker's hoarseness, acute infectious gastroenteritis (enterocyte barrier restoration), bleeding internal hemorrhoids, and mild essential hypertension.
Quality Markers
Mechanism & Phytochemistry
1. Condensed proanthocyanidins precipitate mucosal proteins in the large intestine, creating an impermeable barrier that arrests fluid secretion in diarrhea. 2. Natural fructose and demulcent pectins coat pharyngeal epithelium. 3. Lupeol eNOS vasodilation.
Preparation & Dosage
Fresh ripe fruit: 1 to 2 fruits (50-150 g) daily for dry cough and constipation. THE SOVEREIGN ASTRINGENT DIARRHEA & DYSENTERY DECOCTION: 10-15 g dried sliced unripe green Ciku or bark boiled in 400 mL water for 20 min for severe diarrhea.
Appended Prescriptions
- 1. The Sovereign Lung-Moistening Pharyngeal Puree with Raw Honey and Steamed Snow Pear. 2. Rapid-Acting Anti-Diarrheal Decoction with Psidium guajava (Guava leaf) and Pueraria lobata.
Yemama Apothecary · Petaling Jaya, Malaysia · For educational and clinical reference only