The efficacy of Carica papaya leaf extract on some bacterial and a fungal strain by well diffusion method

Carica papaya, belongs to the family of Caricaceae, and several species of Caricaceae have been used as remedy against a variety of diseases[1] Originally derived from the southern part of Mexico, Carica papaya is a perennial plant,and it is presently distributed over the whole tropical area. In particular,Carica papaya fruit circulates widely, and it is accepted as food or as a quasi drug. Many scientific investigations have been conducted to evaluate the biological activities of various parts of Carica papaya, including fruits, shoots, leaves, rinds, seeds, roots or latex. The leaves of papaya have been shown to contain many active components that can increase the total antioxidant power in blood and reduce lipid peroxidation level, such as papain, chymopapain, cystatin, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, cyanogenic glucosides and glucosinolates[2]. In spite of the concurrent use of the extract of Carica papaya with prescription oral hypoglycemic agents in some patients[3, 4] there is a dearth of literature on the effects of the extract on activity of oral hypoglycaemic agents. Carica papaya plants produce natural compounds (annonaceous acetogenins) in leaf bark and twig tissues that possess both highly anti-tumour and pesticidal properties. It was suggested that a potentially lucrative industry based simply on production of plant biomass could develop for production of anti-cancer drugs, pending Food and Drug Agency approval, and natural (botanical) pesticides[5]. The high level of natural self-defence compounds in the tree makes it highly resistant to insect and disease infestation[6]. Carica papaya L. leaf tea or extract has a reputation as a ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT