Carica papaya

Carica papaya

Plant | Carica papaya | The papaya is a large tree-like plant, with a single stem  growing from 5 to 10 metres (16 to 33 ft) tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk.

The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, 50–70 centimetres (20–28 in) diameter, deeply palmately lobed with 7 lobes. The tree is usually unbranched, unless lopped. The flowers are similar in shape to the flowers of the Plumeria, but are much smaller and wax-like. They appear on the axils of the leaves, maturing into the large 15–45 centimetres (5.9–18 in) long, 10–30 centimetres (3.9–12 in) diameter fruit. The fruit is ripe when it feels soft (like a ripe avocado or a bit softer) and its skin has attained an amber to orange hue.

Papaya  plants have a chemical content of different  fruits and leaves, roots and seeds.  In fruit terkandunga butanorat acid, metal butanoat, benzilglukosinolat,  linalool, papain,  alpha-linoleic acid, alpha filandren, terpinen  alpha, gamma-terpinen,  4-terpineol, and terpinolen.  Alkaloids contained in the leaves, dehidrokarpain,  pesedokarpain, flavonols,  benzilglukosinolat, papain and tannin.

One hundred grams of leaves reportedly contains 74 calories, 77.5 g H2O, 7 g protein, 2 g fat, 11.3 g total carbohydrate, 1.8 g fiber, 2.2 g ash, 344 mg calcium, 142 mg phosphorus, 0.8 mg iron, 18 g sodium, 652 mg potassium, 11 565 mg of beta carotene, 0:09 mg thiamin, riboflavin 0:48 mg, 2.1 mg niacin, 140 mg ascorbic acid and 136 mg of vitamin E

Carica papaya

Folk medicine
Carica papaya Carica papaya is marketed in tablet form to remedy digestive problems.
Women in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other countries have long used green papaya as a folk remedy for contraception and abortion. Enslaved women in the West Indies were noted for consuming papaya to prevent pregnancies and thus preventing their children from being born into slavery. Medical research in animals has confirmed the contraceptive and abortifacient capability of papaya, and also found that papaya seeds have contraceptive effects in adult male langur monkeys, and possibly in adult male humans, as well. Unripe papaya is especially effective in large amounts or high doses. Ripe papaya is not teratogenic and will not cause miscarriage in small amounts. Phytochemicals in papaya may suppress the effects of progesterone.

Carica papaya is also applied topically (in countries where it grows) for the treatment of cuts, rashes, stings and burns. Papain ointment is commonly made from fermented papaya flesh, and is applied as a gel-like paste. Harrison Ford was treated for a ruptured disc incurred during filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by papain injections.

Location
Papaya is native to the lowland tropics of South America. It is cultivated throughout the world's tropical and frostfree subtropical regions for its edible fruits, and has naturalized in many areas. Almost every kitchen garden in the tropics or subtropics has a papaya plant or two. In the U.S., papaya is cultivated in Hawaii, southern California and South Florida.