TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE-       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

CERTIFICATION-          –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

DEDICATION-     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-        –         –         –         –         –         iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS-         –         –         –         –         –         v

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER TWO: OVERVIEW OF Carica papaya

(PAWPAW)

2.1     Botanical classification of Carica papaya–    –         –         5

2.2     Description of Carica papaya–  –         –         –         –         5

2.3     Origin and Distribution of Carica papaya–    –         –         7

2.4     Cultivation of Carica papaya–   –         –         –         –         8

2.5     Nutritional Value of Carica papaya–   –         –         –         13

2.6     Uses of Carica papaya–   –         –         –         –         –         15

2.7     Health benefits of Carica papaya–      –         –         –         16

CHAPTER THREE: MEDICINAL USES OF

CARICA PAPAYA SEEDS

3.1     Anti-Inflammatory Activity-      –         –         –         –         18

3.2     Antifungal Activity-        –         –         –         –         –         18

3.3     Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Activity- –         –         19

3.4     Antibacterial Activity-     –         –         –         –         –         19

3.5     Chemical composition of Carica papaya seeds-      –         20

CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1     Summary-    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         22

4.2     Conclusion- –         –         –         –         –         –         –         23

4.3     Recommendations-          –         –         –         –         –         24

References

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Medicinal plant is an important element of indigenous medical systems in all over the world. The ethno botany provides a rich resource for natural drug research and development (Farnsworth, 1990). Natural products have played an important role throughout the world in treating and preventing human diseases. Carica papaya Linnaeus, (pawpaw), belongs to the family of Caricaceae (Jaiswal, et al., 2010). It is herbaceous succulent plant with self-supporting stems. (Mello, et al., 2008). Bamisaye, et al., (2013) reported that it is a large tree-like plant with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 meters tall with sparely arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruits were borne (Bamisaye, et al., 2013). He also reported that all parts contain latex. It generally branches only when injured (Mello, et al., 2008). Originally derived from the southern part of Mexico, Carica papayais  a perennial plant (Bruce and Peter, 2008). The hollow green or deep purple trunk is straight and cylindrical with prominent leaf scars. Its diameter may be from 2 or 3 inches to over a foot at the base. Mali and Mehta, (2008) reported that fruit, leaves, latex and stem are used to treat indigestion, diarrhoea, swelling of the lungs, stoppage of urination, blindness, tachycardia, ringworm and alopecia. Saleh, (2015) experimented that products of higher plant origin have been known to be effective sources of chemotherapeutic agents without any underlying effects and they are the major source of medicines, as they have been throughout human history. Akinyemi et al. (2006) reported that the use of medicinal plants all over the world predates the introduction of antibiotics and other modern drugs. A medicinal plant is any plant with one or more of its organs containing substances that can be used for therapeutic purposes or which are the precursors for the synthesis of useful drugs (Jahan, et al., 2011). They are of great importance to the health of individuals and communities; the medicinal values of certain plants lie in some chemical substances that produce definite physiological action on the human body (Akinyemi, et al., 2006, Jahan, et al., 2011). Bamisaye, et al. (2013) noted that the most important of these bioactive constituents of plants are lavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and foods plants sometimes added to foods. These active principles or ingredients occur naturally in such plants (Bamisaye, et al., 2013).

Amongst such medicinal plants is Pawpaw (Carica papaya). Herbal medicine is gaining popularity in developing countries (Rahman, et al., 2013). Herbal treatments involve mainly the use of plant extracts and other plant products (Rahman, et al., 2013) which contain bioactive substances. These phytochemicals have potentials to prevent or cause adverse effects (Unnikrishnan, 2008). For  example, alkaloids are used medicinally as analgesics or anaesthetics and are also used as antimalarial, antihypertension and local anaesthesia in ophthalmology. Alkaloids are also central nervous system stimulants (Srivastava and Singh, 2015). Woolley, (2001) reported that they have anthelmintic properties and serve as aphrodisiacs in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Our study identified that alkaloid is one of the major constituents in Carica papayaand form the basis for its being use in the management of erectile related dysfunction and several other disorders (Woolley, 2001). The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recognized the importance of traditional medicine and has created strategies, guidelines and standards for botanical medicines. Proven agro-industrial technologies need to be applied to the cultivation and processing of medicinal plants and the manufacture of herbal medicines. Medicinal plants are resources of new drugs and many of the modern medicines are produced indirectly from plants. It is estimated that there are more than 250,000 flower plant species. Studying medicinal plants helps to understand plant toxicity and protect human and animals from natural poisons. In this review the objective is to consider the value of medicinal plants such as C. papaya used in traditional and modern medical practices as bioactive natural compounds (WHO,1993).