Kiwi Fruit

Scientific Name(s): Actinidia chinensis Planchon.
Common Name(s): China gooseberry, Chinese gooseberry, Kiwi fruit, kiwi fruit extract, Tara fig, Tengligen

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 9, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

Kiwi fruit is a useful nutritional source of vitamin C and carotenoids. Limited small clinical studies have examined the role of kiwi fruit in relieving constipation. Effects on the immune and cardiovascular systems are being investigated.

Dosing

One kiwi fruit contains about 100 mg vitamin C, approximately the recommended US daily intake, and considerable quantities of the carotenoids lutein and xanthine.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used as food.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Allergic reactions may occur in sensitive individuals. Cross-sensitivity with various pollens, latex, banana, and avocado is possible. Diarrhea has been reported following consumption of large quantities of the kiwi fruit.

Toxicology

Information is lacking.

Scientific Family

• Actinidiaceae (Chinese Gooseberry)

Botany

A. chinensis, the plant source of kiwi fruit, is native to China and Taiwan, but cultivation is widespread throughout the world. Major producers include New Zealand, the United States (California), and Italy, but a considerable harvest is obtained from several other countries, including France, Israel, and Spain. The Hayward variety is the most commonly grown commercial cultivar because of its superior hardiness and long shelf life, but several other varieties, including one bearing a yellow-fleshed fruit, are cultivated. The plant is a vigorous, deciduous climber that grows to about 9 m in height, tolerating full sun or semishade. The scented flowers are pollinated by insects and appear in summer. Individual flowers are dioecious, with male or female flowers on separate plants. The egg-shaped fruit has a furry, brown skin, and firm, translucent, emerald-green flesh with numerous small, edible, black seeds at the center. When ripe, the fruit is very juicy with an acidic flavor, often described as a mixture of strawberry and pineapple. "Tara fig" (Actinidia arguta) is a related American species grown domestically.1, 2, 3, 4

History

The fruit was originally known as the Chinese gooseberry, but after aggressive marketing by New Zealand fruit growers, it became known as the kiwi fruit, partly because of its resemblance to the small, brown, flightless bird. It has been used in China as the basis for flavorful wine and has a long tradition of use as a beverage. Kiwi juice has been used in some cultures as a traditional meat tenderizer. Other reported traditional uses include treatment of urinary calculi and use as a diuretic, febrifuge, and sedative.2, 3, 4

Chemistry

The main protein component of kiwi fruit is actinidin, a thiol-protease. It accounts for about 50% of the soluble protein content of the fruit and is also its major allergen. The gene for actinidin has been sequenced. The proteolytic activity of actinidin is similar, but not identical, to that of papain. A glycoprotein inhibitor specific for pectin methylesterase has been isolated from the fruit; it is ineffective against other polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, such as polygalacturonase and amylase.5, 6,