Red Lady variety. Pawpaw tree with pink flesh
Scientific name: Carica papaya,
Local Name: Ipapao (B)
General information
Papaya, botanical name Carica papaya, is a tropical fruit, often seen in orange-red, yellow-green and yellow-orange hues, with a rich orange pulp.
Health benefits
The fruit is not just delicious and healthy, but whole plant parts, fruit, roots, bark, peel, seeds and pulp are also known to have medicinal properties. Carica papaya can be used for treatment of a numerous diseases like warts, corns, sinuses, eczema, cutaneous tubercles, glandular tumours, blood pressure, dyspepsia, constipation, amenorrhoea, general weakness, expel worms and stimulate reproductive organs. Carica papaya can be regarded as a Nutraceutical. It also contains many biological active compounds. It also aids digestive system, and again used in treatment of arthritis.
Human benefits
The many benefits of papaya owed due to high content of Vitamins A, B and C, proteolytic enzymes like papain and chymopapain which have antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. The milky juice is extracted, dried and used as a chewing gum for digestive problems, toothpaste and meat tenderizers. The bark, and leaves have a high concentration in the latex. The skin of unripe fruits, has a multitude of uses. It is added to cosmetic skin creams, termite control, used in clarifying beer, degumming natural silk.