PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND MEDICINAL USES OF CARICA PAPAYA (LINN.): A REVIEW

Abstract

The plant world is the gold mine of contemporary medicine because of the abundance of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites it contains. In fact, it is a therapeutic and preventative dietary supplement that helps the body resist disease and age more gracefully. The papaya (Carica papaya L.), featured above, is an associate of the Caricaceae family and is widely regarded for its useful nutritional and therapeutic benefits around the world. Papaya's nutritional and medicinal value comes from its many parts, including its leaves, roots, skin, fruit, and seeds. It thrives in warm, humid climates and is widely distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics. This review aims to synthesize, by the end of 2022, data on papaya's functional activity culled from electronic sources, including Dimensions, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Science Direct. Papaya is a good dietary supplement because of the wealth of research detailing the plant's utilization of many medicinal chemicals. Numerous vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, including papain, glycylendopeptidase, chymopapain, and caricain, can be found in plant extracts, notably those made from the fruits and leaves. These chemicals have anticancer actions; reduce inflammation, hyperglycemia, infertility, hypertension problems, and more thanks to their intriguing nutraceutical qualities. Papaya seeds peel, and leave have medical promise, but additional study is needed to determine dosage, mechanism of action, and safety profile. Therefore, this review urges the implementation of public health awareness initiatives to encourage the consumption of papaya so that the general public can reap the fruit's full potential in preventing and treating disease.