| White sapote | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Genus: | Casimiroa |
| Species: | C. edulis |
| Binomial name | |
| Casimiroa edulis | |
Thewhite sapote, scientific nameCasimiroa edulis, also calledcasimiroa andMexican apple,[1] and known ascochitzapotl in theNahuatl language (meaning "sleep-sapote") is a species of tropical fruiting tree in the familyRutaceae, native to easternMexico andCentral America south toCosta Rica. The genus is named for "an Otomi Indian, Casimiro Gómez, from the town ofCardonal in Hidalgo, Mexico, who fought and died inMexico's war of independence."[2]
MatureC. edulis trees range from 5–16 m (16–52 ft) tall and areevergreen. Theleaves are alternate, palmately compound with three to five leaflets, the leaflets 6–13 cm long and 2.5–5 cm broad with an entire margin, and the leaf petiole 10–15 cm long.
Thefruit is an ovoiddrupe, 5–10 cm in diameter, with a thin, inedible skin turning from green to yellow when ripe, and an edible pulp, which can range in flavor from bland to banana-like to peach to pear to vanillaflan.[3][4][5] The pulp can be creamy-white in green-skin varieties or a beige-yellow in yellow-skin varieties and has a smooth texture similar to ripeavocado. It contains from one to five large inedible seeds that are said to havenarcotic properties.[by whom?]
In the past 40 years, experiments carried out on the white sapote's seeds have identified many pharmacologically active compounds, including:N-methylhistamine,N,N-dimethylhistamine, andhistamine. It also contains 2′,5,6-trimethoxyflavone, 2′, 6',5,6,-tetramethoxyflavone (zapotin), and 5-hydroxy-2′,6,7-trimethoxyflavone (zapotinin).[6][7]
Severalin vitro studies have shown that zapotin has potential anticarcinogenic effects against isolatedcolon cancer cells.[6][8]
The fruit has long been thought to produce drowsiness, as claimed byFrancisco Hernández de Toledo in the 16th century,[9] but this may be a misinterpretation of theNahuatl name of the plant,cochitzapotl (meaning '"sleep-sapote"), as its seeds were processed to produce a poison by the Aztecs, and the seeds and leaves, but not fruit pulp of the plant, contain sleep-inducing compounds.[citation needed]
Unlike themamey sapote, white sapote is a member of the familyRutaceae, to whichcitrus belongs.[10] Theblack sapote is also unrelated and is actually a species ofpersimmon. This confusion may be because "sapote" comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) wordtzapotl, used to describe all soft, sweet fruit.[citation needed]
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