Uncovering the Therapeutic Potential of Carica papaya L.: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Insights

Carica papaya L. is a widely cultivated plant valued for its nutritional richness, phytochemical diversity, and extensive ethnomedicinal applications. This review presents current evidence on its traditional uses, chemical composition, and pharmacological activities. Different parts of the plant, including leaves, fruits, seeds, roots, latex, and flowers, encompass bioactive substances such as papain, chymopapain, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloids, and benzyl isothiocyanate, which combined provide a range of medicinal benefits. Traditional medicine systems across Asia, Africa, South America, and the Pacific employ papaya for digestive disorders, infections, inflammation, wound healing, metabolic disorders, and reproductive health. Experimental studies reveal substantial antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, cardioprotective, and wound-healing activities, corroborated by both in vitro and in vivo models. Notably, papaya leaf extracts have shown promising clinical benefits in improving platelet counts in dengue-associated thrombocytopenia. Mechanistic analyses reveal modulation of oxidative stress pathways, inflammatory mediators (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6), metabolic regulators (IRS-1/PI3K/Akt), and apoptotic signaling in cancer models. Despite robust preclinical evidence, standardized extraction methods, dosage optimization, and large-scale clinical trials remain limited. This review focuses on the therapeutic potential of Carica papaya as a multipurpose medicinal plant and emphasizes the need for further translational research to validate its clinical efficacy and develop phytopharmaceutical applications.