NUTRITIONAL AND CLINICAL EVALUATION OF CARICA PAPAYA

Background: Medicinal plants have been used for centuries in traditional systems of medicine for the management of metabolic and inflammatory disorders. Carica papaya, a member of the Caricaceae family, is widely recognized for its nutritional and therapeutic potential. The fruit contains diverse phytochemicals and proteolytic enzymes that have been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and wound healing properties. Despite growing interest, comprehensive evaluation integrating phytochemical profiling, biological assays, and molecular docking remains limited. Objective: To investigate the phytochemical composition, in-vitro biological activities, and in-silico molecular interactions of different solvent extracts of Carica papaya. Methods: Fresh C. papaya fruits were procured, air-dried, powdered, and extracted separately using ethanol, distilled water, n-hexane, and chloroform. Extracts were concentrated using a rotary evaporator. Phytochemical screening was performed using standard qualitative procedures. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH radical scavenging assay, anti-inflammatory activity by bovine serum albumin denaturation method, and anti-diabetic activity by α-amylase inhibition assay. Absorbance readings were recorded using a UV–visible spectrophotometer and ELISA reader. GC–MS analysis was conducted for ethanol and n-hexane extracts. Protein profiling was performed using SDS-PAGE. Molecular docking of identified ligands with TAR DNA-binding protein was carried out using AutoDock Vina. Results: Ethanol extract exhibited 93.62% antioxidant inhibition at 0.5 mg/mL compared with 97.43% for ascorbic acid. Chloroform extract showed 94.07% inhibition at the same concentration. In anti-inflammatory assay, ethanol extract demonstrated 42.91% inhibition at 0.5 mg/mL, whereas diclofenac showed 80.47%. Anti-diabetic activity revealed 89.47% inhibition for ethanol extract and 87.50% for n-hexane extract at 0.5 mg/mL, compared to 93.87% for metformin. GC–MS identified 26 compounds in ethanol extract, with 10-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (28.47%) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (25.35%) as predominant constituents. Docking analysis showed binding affinities up to −6.0 kcal/mol for selected ligands. Conclusion: Carica papaya extracts demonstrated significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic activities supported by phytochemical diversity and molecular docking interactions. These findings highlight its potential as a promising source of bioactive compounds for further pharmacological development.