ABSTRACT
Sapota or sapodilla is a native of tropical America, having originated in Mexico of Central America. It is a delicious fruit also known as chiku, dilly. nispero, zapotte, sapota plum, sapodilla, or prickly pear. Fully ripe fruit is eaten as dessert. The pulp along with the skin can also be eaten, as the latter is rich in nutritive value (I). A decoction is given in diarrhea and in paludism (2). India is the largest producer of sapota, followed by Mexico, Guatemala, and Venezuela. The present area under sapota plantation in India accounts for more than 20,000 ha (3,4). Although sapota is cultivated in India primarily for its edible fruit, it is cultivated in Mexico, Guatemala, and Venezuela mainly for the extraction of chickle gum, a resinous latex derived from the bark.
