Medicinal use of papaya

 

Most useful healthy pulp

Papaya tree is basically originated in Central America and the West Indies. This wee was cultivated in Central America even before the Europeans arrived there Later Spanie and Portuguese invaders camed this plant to other places. Although the eritive papaya plant is useful in many ways, but the fruit has gained immense popularity due to its afficacy Nowadays this tree can be found in all tropical regions around the world it may represent the fusion of two or more species of Carica

Papayas are usually grown from seed. Their development is rapid, fruit being produced before the end of the first year Under favourable conditions, a plant may live five years or more The tree grows best in well drained areas. It has an un-branched hollow trunk (not woody) up to 8 m (20 feet)

tall, and fruits grow on the trunk of female plants. The plant is crowned by deeply lobed leaves, sometimes 60 cm (2 feet) across, borne on hollow petioles 60 cm long. Normally, the species is dioecious, male and female flowers being produced on separate plants. Male flowers are borne in clusters on stalks 90 cm long the flowers are funnel shaped about 2.5 mm (0.1 inch) long, and whitish, and the corolla is five-lobed, with 10 stamens in the throat. The female flowers are considerably larger on very short stalks, and often solitary in the leaf axils, they have five fleshy petais that are united toward the base and a large cylindrical that is crowned by five fan-shaped sessile stigmas

FLOWERS

Papaya flower has medicinal properties. It is useful in inducing menstruation and treating bronchial infections

LEAVES

The raw leaves of papaya tree are also useful in Induced menstruation Papain also works as an effective pain-relieving agent, it is commonly used for patients with slip- disc and is useful in treating arthritis. Recent evidences indicate that papain can destroy fibrin present on cancer cells. Hence, It has the ability to prevent spread of the disease to other parts of the body. It has been found that patients taking

papain recover faster from chemo and radiation therapies.

 SEEDS AND GREEN PARTS

Carpaine, an alkaloid, is found in the seeds and green parts of the papaya plant. Reports suggest that carpaine works as a heart stimulant and diuretic. in higher doses, it reduces the pulse rate and acts as a depressant. It also helps in curing amoebic dysentery The seeds have worm-expelling properties, too. Traditionally, air-dried seeds have been used for de-worming livestock and pets

FRUITS

The fruit is commonly sphencal to cylindrical in korm and a 75500 mm or even more in length, and sometimes woghs as much as to 115 kg (20 to 25.5 pounds) In general character i strongly resembles a muskmelon Papaya has more carotene than many other fruits and is highly nutritious

UNRIPE

The unripe fruit exude the milky latex contains proteolytic enzymes which can digest proteins, small peptides amades and some esters. Papine is extensively used as a digestive supplement as a medicines, specially for persons having difficulty in digesting proteins While digesting proteins, papain forms vanous amino acids, including arginine Arginine is known to help muscle building and reducing body fat So, it is useful for obese people

The enzyme mixture can also hydrolyse fats and carbohydrates In fact, one gram of papain can digest 35 gms of meat As a result it is used as tenderizer in meat preparations. So s always good for patients suffering from digestive problems. The unripe fruit can be cooked like squash

Due to high enzyme content, un-ipped fruil is extremery good for dyspeptic patients. Unripe papaya also checks the growth of unwanted bacteria and parasites in the intestines. It is also offlective against worms, and is commonly administered for the expulsion of lubrici

Fully grown unripe fruit is the main source of papain (a small

quantity is also present in leaf, stem etc.) HIPE

The very juicy flesh is deep yellow or orange to salmon-coloured and about 25 mm thick. Along the walls of the large central cavity are attached the numerous round, wrinkled black seeds, the size of peas

The papaya fruit is slightly sweet, with an agreeable musky tang, which is more pronounced in some vaneties and in some climates than in others. It is a popular breakfast fruit in many countries and is also used in salads, pies sherbets, juices, and confections.

It is commonly eaten as dessert. Ripe papaya acts as a mild but effective laxative and provides relief trom danhoea and dysentery When ripe, the papaya fruit pulp turns yellow or reddish

As large number of children in our country tum blind due to vitamin A deficiency, papaya can be of great help in This regard. Papaya is highly nutritious and has more carotene than many other fruits. The total carotene is more than 2.700 micro grams per 100 g of pulp, which includes about 900 microgram of beta carotene Beta carotene has the ability to protect our system against free radicals, and certain types of cancer Carotene gets converted into vitamin A in our body

The pulp is also rich in vitamin C. Besides, it is a rich source of potassium, sodium, calcium, iron and proteins Being low in calories 100 g of ripe pulp has about 32 kcal-it is good for those who plan to shed weight without suffering from nutritional deficiency

TRUNK

Paw lates from the trunk of papaya tree, if applied externally, it speed up healing of wounds, warts, bolls, ulcers and hard kamors. This is why papk of papaya tree, beonlinedditionally used on wounds and incisions. In certain places, us from the also used tor dress papaya pieces have been traditionature edametic that remove freckles and sun blemishes trom the

skin. Papain bark relieves toothache Papaya latex from unripe fruits is used to manufacture chewing gum, and for reducing shrinkage of certain Daristes of wook it is used in diseleries for chil-proofing and clarifying ber in the tanning industry, papaya a usad ke Balding hide

OTHER THERAPEUTIC VALUE- 

Jaundice Early stage of VALUE when there is a loss of appetite with pain in right hypochondrousa aer meals Bloor undigested leds of laundice when there is a loss of dark Pate conjunctiva. Taste of mouth is bands Dyspepsia Disorders followed by constipation Urine yalioncles, Eschar burns, Sloughing of infected wounds