Carica papaya L.

Caricaceae

Common Names:
Gaslabu (S)
Pappaasi, Pappali (T)
Papaw, Papaya, Tree Melon (E)
Erandakarkati-madhukarkati (Sa)

Traditional Knowledge

Useful plant parts :
Leaf, seed and fruit

Uses in traditional medicine :

Leaves ground with lime juice are applied on mildly to moderately poisonous snake bites in Sri Lanka
Leaf juice is taken to increase the number of platelets in the blood during high fever
Ripe fruit is used as a cosmetic to remove freckles and is used as a soap

Scientific Research

Chemical constituents:

Benzyl-D-glucosides, isomeric malonated benzyl β-D-glucosides from fruits; protease enzymes: cysteine endopeptidases, papain, chymopapain, glycyl endopeptidase and caricain from latex

Bioactivity :

Organic extracts of seeds: spermicidal and contraceptive; methanol extract of leaves: potential for sickle cell disease therapy; latex: can used to treat pancreatic exocrine insufficiency; latex formulated in carbopol gel: effective in treating burns; extracts of seeds and fruits: antibacterial; fruit juice: antihypertensive

Clinical:

Note :

Fruits are edible

References :

Abdelkafi, S. et al., (2009), In vitro comparisons between Carica papaya and pancreatic lipases during test meal lipolysis: Potential use of CPL in enzyme replacement therapy, Food Chemistry, 115(2), 488-494.

Azarkan, M., et al., (2003), Fractionation and purification of the enzymes stored in the latex of Carica papaya, Journal of Chromatography B, 790(1-2), 229-238.

Dawkins, G., et al., (2003), Antibacterial effects of Carica papaya fruit on common wound organisms, The West Indian Medical Journal, 52(4), 290-2.

Eno, A. E. et al., (2000), Blood pressure depression by the fruit juice of Carica papaya (L.) in renal and DOCA-induced hypertension in the rat, Phytotherapy Research, 14(4), 235-239.

Gurung, S. and Skalko-Basne, N., (2009), Wound healing properties of Carica papaya latex: In vivo evaluation in mice burn model, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 121(2), 338-341.

Imaga, N. O. A., et al., (2009), Antisickling property of Carica papaya leaf extract, African Journal of Biochemistry Research, 3(4), 102-106.

Lohiya, N. K. et al., (2000), Human sperm immobilization effect of Carica papaya seed extracts: an in vitro study, Asian Journal of Androl- ogy, 2, 103-109.

Lohiya, N. K. et al., (2005), Efficacy trial on the purified compounds of the seeds of Carica papaya for male contraception in albino rat, Reproductive Toxicology, 20(1), 135-148.

Schwab, W. and Schreier, P., (1988), Aryl β-D-glucosides from Carica papaya fruit, Phytochemistry, 27(6), 1813-1816.

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