Papaya, Carica papaya

Did you know that Papaya, fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the wonder fruit of the tropics and subtropics, native of Mexico, introduced in India in the 16th century now with commercial production of 20 million tonnes covering 43% of the world supply?

Papaya is a wonder fruit of the tropics and subtropics, of the plant Carica papaya - Madhukarkati. It is one of the 22 accepted species in the genus Carica of the family Caricaceae, originally a native of Mexico as a cross between two species of the genus carica, was introduced in India from Malacca (Portugal) in 1611 AD and is now widely grown in most states of India. It has many varieties grown in India of which the ten most popular ones are Pusa Dwarf, Pusa Majesty, Pusa Gaint, Pusa Delicious, Mahabindu, Solo, Ranchi, Coorg Honey Dew, Washington , and Taiwan-786. Cultivated in over an area of 97.7 thousand hectares in India, its fruit production in 2020 exceeded 20 million tonnes and accounted for 43% of its world supply. 

Papaya also known as Pawpaw, has many vernacular names in India such as: Erandkarkati in Sanskrit; Pappaya hannu in Kannada; Papita in Hindi; and Pappali in Tamil. 

Of the 22 species of the plant only five species , C. papyan, C.chilensis, C. goudotiana, C. monoica , and C. pubescens produce edible fruits. 

Papaya is small herbacious, evergreen, perennial dicotyledonous plant. It grows with a single stem, 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft) tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. Stem is simple, thick, spongy hollow, soft wooded with leaf scars, usually with no lateral branches, but sometimes divide into several erect stems bearing heads of leaves. Leaves alternate, lamina deeply lobed, each is further pinnately lobed, petioles long, hollow, 60 cm or more in length, stipulate. Flowers are prodcued in leaf axis, fragrant, 5 sepals, 5 white petals, 5 or 10 stamens, and 5 carpellate pistil with 5 stigmatic rays having parietal placentation. The flowers are sweet-scented, open at night, and wind- or insect-pollinated. Ovary with large central cavity, fruit is large berry with many seeds (blackish), fleshy endosperm and straigt embryo. Fruit thinning is done to get well sized fruits. It is propogated by seeds and cuttings. It is also one of the few fruits which flowers and fruits throughout the year, rendering quick returns to the growers. It is popularly grown and cultivated in the home gardens by the people. 

Papaya skin, pulp, and seeds contain a variety of phytochemicals, including carotenoids and polyphenols, as well as benzyl isothiocyanates and benzyl glucosinates, with skin and pulp levels that increase during ripening. Eaten as fresh fruit, Papaya is rich in carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and ascorbic acid and is a source of vitamin A (2020 IU per 100 g) and sufficient vitamin C (40 mg/l00g). Fruits contain a proteolytic enzyme, papain, which helps in digestion of protein rich foods. Yellow pigment in papaya is due to caricaxanthin. Fruit is highly perishable in nature and cannot be stored as such for longer periods in ambient condition.

Papaya is a delicious table fruit used in prepartion of jam, jelly. tuti-fruity, petha, marmalade, nectar, wines sysrup, dehydrated flakes., and baby foods. Papya cubes are made from ripefruits. 

Green Papaya fruits are diuritic, mild laxative and used as a vegetable too. Fruits are used in curing piles, dyspepsia of splleen and liver, digestive disorders, and skin blemishes. Face creams, dental paste and several types of medicines are prepared from papain. In traditional medicine, papaya leaves have been used as a treatment for malaria, an abortifacient, a purgative, or smoked to relieve asthma. Frutis are also used to cure iadbetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, ulcer, boils and wounds.

- Narasipur Char