Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROFILE OF CARICA PAPAYA – A REVIEW

G. Sindhu*, G. Ragini, L. Sreehari, G. Gayathri, A. Thejaswee, Sk. Inthiyaz, T. Usha Kiran Reddy and K. Thyagaraju

ABSTRACT

Carica papaya, is a lozenge tropical fruit, often seen in yellow-green and yellow-orange hues, with a rich orange pulp. The fruit is not just delicious and healthy, but whole plant parts, fruit, roots, bark, peel, seeds and pulp are also known to have medicinal properties. Most of the benefits of papaya owed due to high content of Vitamins A, B and C, proteolytic enzymes like papain and chymopapain which have antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. Nowadays, Papaya is considered as neutraceutical fruit due to its multifaceted medicinal properties which include anti-fertility, diuretic, uretonic, anti-hypertensive, hypolipidemic, anti-helmintic, wound healing, anti- fungal, antibacterial, anti tumor and free radical scavenging activities. Phytochemically, the whole plant contains enzymes, lycopene, carotenoids, alkaloids, monoterpenoids, flavonoids, minerals and vitamins. In the present review, an attempt is made to compile all the strange facts available about this tasty fruit.

Keywords: Carica papaya, neutraceutical, papain, chymopapain, uretonic, hypolipidemic, antitumor, anti-helimenthic, anti-hypertensive, diuretic.