A Comparative Study on Phyto-Constitutional Profiling of Carica papaya Leaves

Abstract

Carica papaya (Linn) plant is nature's own basket of various phyto-nutrients, and its leaves are used as the most effective supplement in the treatment of dengue fever. It possesses unparallel activity to increase platelet counts in the body, and hence finds its place as a marketed drug under multiple brand names like Caripill, Caripaya, CPL Tablet, Caripap, etc. for the treatment of dengue fever. This versatile potency of the plant led us to investigate phyto-constitutional profiling of C. papaya leaves. We have evaluated 3 most abundant yet unlike solvents viz. water, methanol, and petroleum ether for extraction to estimate maximum possible phyto-constituents. The report comprises an exhaustive phyto-constitutional profiling of C. papaya leaves in 9 diverse chemical classes with more than 24 chemical tests, supporting the presence of carbohydrate, amino acids, alkaloids, saponins, and glycosides as major chemical constituents.