Papaya latex removes ascaris eggs

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/medicinal/papaya.html


Uses and Efficacy

The efficacy of treatments with Carica papaya is dependent on the quantity of the different compounds in the preparation. The quantity of the compounds, as previously indicated, differ in the fruit, latex, leaves, and roots and vary with the extraction method, age of the plant part, and the cultivar and sex of the tree.

The application of papaya latex that is probably of most interest to livestock producers is as an anthelmintic (dewormer). Satrija et al. (1994) tested the efficacy of papaya latex (at doses of 2, 4, and 8 g/kg BW) against Ascaris suum in 16 pigs. The eggs per gram (epg) on days 0, 1, 5, and 7 were determined using a modified McMaster technique and the adult worms were collected and sexed at necropsy on day 7. The 4- and 8-g/kg BW treatments significantly decreased the epg produced (by 99%) and the number of adult worms by 80 and 100%, respectively. The study conducted by Satrija et al. supports the results of other studies which indicate that papaya latex is effective against Ascaridia galli in chickens. One adverse effect of the treatment was transient diarrhea in the 8-g/kg BW group on day 1 of the study. In another study, water extracts of papaya seeds decreased Ascaridia galli infections in chicks by 41.7% (compared to piperazine hexahydrate which decreased infections by 99%).

In traditional veterinary medicine, papaya seeds also are used as dewormers. In Indonesia and the Philippines, air-dried seeds are ground and mixed with water - 3 g of seeds/kg bodyweight. The animals are given the seed/water mixture once a day for 6 days. In Indonesia, papaya leaves are used as affed for animals after parturition - 2 leaves boiled in water fed every 2 days for 1 week. It also has been reported that papaya leaf extract is used as a profilaxis against malaria, though no studies on this use could be found in the literature.

Results from studies on biological activities of Carica papaya parts, extracts, and isolated compounds are briefly summarized below:

* Antimicrobial
o Latex (with a minimum protein concentration of 138 microliters/ml) and root extracts inhibited Candida albicans. However, aqueous extracts were not active.
o Extracts of pulp and seeds showed bacteriostatic properties when tested against Staphylococcus aureua, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, and other bacteria in vitro. However, in another study, aqueous extracts (type of extract and plant part not indicated) were not active against Staphylococcus aureua and Escherichia colis in vitro.
o Alpha-D-mannosidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (isolated from latex) acted synergistically to inhibit yeast growth.

* Parasitic
o Powdered air-dried seeds given orally to 4 dogs (60mg/kg BW for 30 days) decreased Dirofilaria immitis infections.
o Papaya latex fed (at a rate of 2, 4, 6, or 8g/kg BW) to mice with experimental infections of Heligmosomoides polygyrus decreased infections rates by 55.5-84.5% compared to non-treated control mice.
o Seeds at concentrations of less than 100 micrograms/ml exhibited activity against Entamoeba histolytica in vitro.
o Benzylisothiocyanate (isolated from papaya) at concentrations of 100-300 micromoles inhibits the energy metabolism and affected the motor activity of Ascaridia galli in vitro

* Sedative and muscle relaxer -- studies with rats indicate that alcohol extracts (at a dose of 5 mg/kg BW intraperitoneally or greater) relaxed central muscles. The extracts (at a dose of 10 mg/kg BW intraperitoneally or greater) also had sedative properties.

* Purgative -- in one study with rats, aqueous extracts increased the number of wet feces and the movement of intestinal contents. Tweet