Papaya (Carica papaya L., Pawpaw)

Carica papaya L. is an herbaceous laticiferous plant commonly cultivated in the tropics as a food and cash crop. C. papaya cultivars have been developed to increase yield, fruit quality, and nutritional content. The whole plant, parts, and extracts are used traditionally for the treatment of ailments. Phytochemicals from C. papaya are increasingly investigated and have shown great pharmacologic promise as a result of their antioxidant, antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial properties. Therefore, some C. papaya products (fermented papaya, papain) are now used alone or in combination with drugs or herbs to treat diseases such as dengue fever, diabetes mellitus, and periodontitis and to heal wounds. However, the safety of papaya–drug and papaya–herb combinations for treatment of diseases is still being investigated. Such combinations are potentially fatal in some cases and beneficial in others. More studies are required to understand the nature of C. papaya interactions with drugs and herbs and implications for body structure and function.