Ethnomedicinal uses, nutritional composition, phytochemistry and potential health benefits of Carica papaya

Carica papaya L. popularly known as pawpaw is an economically important tropical herbaceous plant with numerous biological activities. In traditional medicine, different parts of C. papaya L. (leaves, stem, roots, fruits and seeds) are utilized to treat various diseases. This present review aims to provide up-to-date and comprehensive information on the ethnomedicinal uses, nutritional composition, phytochemical composition, pharmacological activities, clinical trials and toxicity profile of C. papaya. Material search was performed using relevant keywords. Only papers written in the English language and published between January 2000 and March 2023 were collated from the following databases: ScienceDirect, Frontiers, Springer, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), Wiley and PubMed. Carica papaya possesses high vitamin A and C values and numerous bioactive compounds with known pharmacological activities. In vitro and in vivo studies on C. papaya showed various pharmacological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiarrheal, wound healing, larvicidal, anxiolytic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, antiulcer, antithrombocytopenic, anthelminthic and contraceptive activities. These pharmacological activities may be due to numerous bioactive compounds in different parts of C. papaya. This study revealed that C. papaya has therapeutic potential against various diseases and can be used to develop nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical products. However, there are few or no scientific studies on the pharmacological activities of the isolated bioactive compounds. To fully elucidate the mechanism of action of C. papaya in the treatment of diseases, the bioactive compounds should be studied. Also, studies should be conducted on clinical trials and quality control to establish effective doses of C. papaya or its bioactive compounds for treating various diseases. [Display omitted]