Some recent studies on effects of papaya leaf extract
Otsuki N, Dang NH, Kumagai E, Kondo A, Iwata S, Morimoto C 2010. Aqueous extract of Carica papaya leaves exhibits anti-tumor activity and immunomodulatory effects. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 127: 760-767
In human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) “… the production of IL-2 and IL-4 was reduced following the addition of Carica papaya (CP) extract, whereas that of IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IFN-γ and TNF-α was enhanced without growth inhibition. In addition, cytotoxicity of activated PBMC against K562 was enhanced by the addition of CP extract. Moreover, microarray analyses showed that the expression of 23 immunomodulatory genes, classified by gene ontology analysis, was enhanced by the addition of CP extract.”
Chinnappan S, Ramachandrappa VS, Tamilarasu K, Krishnan UM, Pillai AKB, and Rajendiran S 2016. Inhibition of Platelet Aggregation by the Leaf Extract of Carica papaya During Dengue Infection: An In Vitro Study. Viral Immunology 29, No. 3
“Sixty subjects with dengue positive and 60 healthy subjects were recruited in the study. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma were prepared from both the dengue-infected and healthy control blood samples. Effect of the leaf extract obtained from C. papaya leaves was assessed on plasma obtained as well as platelets collected from both healthy and dengue-infected individuals. Platelet aggregation was significantly reduced when leaf extract preincubated with dengue plasma was added into control PRP, whereas no change in aggregation when leaf extract incubated-control plasma was added into control PRP.”
Subenthiran S, Choon TC, Cheong KC, Thayan R, Teck MB, Muniandy PK, Afzan A, Abdullah NR, Ismail Z. 2013. Carica papaya Leaves Juice Significantly Accelerates the Rate of Increase in Platelet Count among Patients with Dengue Fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013: 616737.
“An open labeled randomized controlled trial was carried out on 228 patients with dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). Approximately half the patients received the juice, for 3 consecutive days while the others remained as controls and received the standard management…..There was a significant increase in mean platelet count observed in the intervention group (P<0.001) but not in the control group 40 hours since the first dose of CPLJ.”
Teh BP, Ahmad NB, Mohamad SB, Tan TYC, Mohd Abd Razak MRB, Afzan AB, Syed Mohamed AFB. Carica papaya Leaf Juice for Dengue: A Scoping Review. Nutrients. 2022; 14:1584. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14081584
“Other than larvicidal activity, this review also reveals two medicinal potentials of C. papaya leaf juice on dengue infection, namely anti-thrombocytopenic and immunomodulatory effects. C. papaya leaf juice has the potential to be a new drug candidate against dengue disease safely and effectively.”