Carica Papaya- A Herbal Medicine

Medicinal plants have played an essential role in the development of human culture. Carica papaya Linn.is a monoecious, dioecious or hermaphrodite tree; it belongs to the family Caricaceae. It is widely cultivated throughout world and is used as food and traditional medicine, particularly as an antiseptic and contraceptive. Papaya contains many biologically active compounds. Fruit, leaves, latex and stem are used to treat indigestion, diarrhoea, swelling of the lungs, stoppage of urination, blindness, tachycardia, ringworm and alopecia. The papaya is a nutritive fruit containing a small amount of proteins and the same amount of minerals consisting mainly of iron, calcium and phosphorus, vitamin A and C and is rich in the enzyme papain. The seeds of Papaya have been reported to have both antimicrobial and antihelmintic activities. The latex of Papaya and fluconazole has synergistic action on the inhibition of the growth of Candida albicans. The molluscicidal activity of C. papaya seed and latex may be due to the presence of papain.