Papaya

Carica papaya L. (Fam. Caricaceae )

See also: Nutritional values Papaya - Fermented Papaya

The papaya is a small tree of 3-10 meters, originating from Central America and widespread in all tropical and subtropical regions (Brazil, Florida, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka). Similar in appearance to the palms, it is crossed by numerous canals and carries, on the trunk, the scars of fallen leaves.

The fruit is the papaya, a large rounded or ovoid berry that can weigh up to 10 kg. At maturity it is yellow-green in color and contains an orange-colored pulp, rich in black seeds covered by mucilage.

The papaya takes different names according to the place where it is grown: capote (Mexico), mamao (Brazil), fruta bomba (Cuba), lech (Puerto Rico), passionflower of the Moluccas etc .. The most known varieties on the Italian market are: Solo, Hortus Gold, Cera, Kagdum, Semangka.

Papaya is a tropical fruit, appreciated worldwide for its juicy and refreshing flavor, halfway between apricot and melon. It is less sweet and a little more insipid if it is Italian papaya. If unripe it is preserved at room temperature because the high concentration of papain prevents the fruit, caught immature, from reaching an adequate maturation quickly.

Papaya can be eaten raw, cooked, as a basic ingredient to prepare preserves and jams or, by fermentation, to give a sort of brandy.

From a nutritional point of view the fruit is an excellent source of antioxidants, thanks to the good content of lycopene and Vitamin A, C and E. Discrete also the presence of folates, fibers and potassium.

In phytotherapy the drug consists of dried latex or brute papain, obtained by incision from unripe fruits (an average sized fruit provides about 100 grams of latex). From this is obtained, by dissolution in water and precipitation in alcohol, the purified papain, also called papaiotin. This substance has a strong proteolytic activity and is therefore used in gastric and duodenal insufficiencies. In fact, it has the same properties as pepsin, a gastric enzyme essential for protein digestion. Unlike this, that to carry out its function requires the presence of hydrochloric acid, papain is also active in a neutral or basic environment.

Papain, which can also be obtained from other parts of the plant such as leaves or seeds, has anthelmintic properties and as such is traditionally used against intestinal parasites. In addition to treating digestive problems, this substance is used as a detergent in removing protein deposits from the surface of contact lenses.

In the kitchen, papaya ground seeds are used to soften and flavor meat.