Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T02:47:29.405Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Papaya (Carica papaya) consumption is unsafe in pregnancy: fact or fable? Scientific evaluation of a common belief in some parts of Asia using a rat model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Adebowale Adebiyi ,
P. Ganesan Adaikan  and
R. N. V. Prasad
Adebowale Adebiyi
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore119260
R. N. V. Prasad
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore119260
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Using controlled in vivo and in vitro pharmacological methods, we evaluated the safety of papaya (Carica papaya) consumption in pregnancy with reference to its common avoidance during pregnancy in some parts of Asia. Ripe papaya (Carica papaya L. (Caricaecae) blend (500 ml/l water) was freely given to four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats at different stages of gestation (days 1–5, 6–11, 12–17 and 1–20). The control group received water. The effect of ripe papaya juice and crude papaya latex on pregnant and non-pregnant rats' uteri was also evaluated using standard isolated-organ-bath methods. The daily volumes (ml) of ripe papaya blend consumed by the treated group were significantly (P<0·05) more than water consumed by the control (control 40·3 (<FONT SIZE="-2">SD</FONT> 11·6) v. treated 64 (SD 19·0)). There was no significant difference in the number of implantation sites and viable fetuses in the rats given ripe papaya relative to the control. No sign of fetal or maternal toxicity was observed in all the groups. In the in vitro study, ripe papaya juice (0·1–0·8 ml) did not show any significant contractile effect on uterine smooth muscles isolated from pregnant and non-pregnant rats; conversely, crude papaya latex (0·1–3·2 mg/ml) induced spasmodic contraction of the uterine muscles similar to oxytocin (1–64 mU/ml) and prostaglandin F2α (0·028–1·81 μM). The response of the isolated rat uterine smooth muscles to 0·2 mg crude papaya latex/ml was comparable to 0·23 μM prostaglandin F2α and 32 mU oxytocin/ml. In the 18–19 d pregnant rat uterus, the contractile effect of crude papaya latex was characterized by tetanic spasms. The results of the present study suggest that normal consumption of ripe papaya during pregnancy may not pose any significant danger. However, the unripe or semi-ripe papaya (which contains high concentration of the latex that produces marked uterine contractions) could be unsafe in pregnancy. Though evaluation of potentially toxic agents often relies on animal experimental results to predict risk in man, further studies will be necessary to ascertain the ultimate risk of unripe papaya–semi-ripe papaya consumption during pregnancy in man.

Keywords

Papaya‘Hot’ and ‘cold’ foodsUterine contractionsCrude papaya latexPregnancyIndigenous beliefs
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 88 , Issue 2 , August 2002 , pp. 199 - 203
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2002

References

Calam, DH, Davidson, J & Harris, R (1985) High performance liquid chromatographic investigation on some enzymes of papaya latex. Journal of Chromatography 326, 103–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chard, T (1994) Oxytocin in human parturition. In The Uterus, p. 268 [Chard, T and Grudzinskas, JG, editors]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Devi, S & Singh, S (1978) Changes in placenta of rat fetuses induced by maternal administration of papain. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 16, 1256–1260.Google ScholarPubMed
Elger, W, Eskola, J & Csapo, AI (1981) Mechanism of action of an orally active PGE1 analogue in pregnant guinea pigs. Prostaglandins 21, 259–266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
El Moussaoui, A, Nijs, M, Paul, C, Wintjens, R, Vincentelli, J, Azarkan, M & Looze, Y (2001) Revisiting the enzymes stored in the laticifers of Carica papaya in the context of their possible participation in the plant defence mechanism. Cell and Molecular Life Sciences 58, 556–570.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferro-Luzzi, EG (1980) Food avoidance of pregnant women in Tamil Nadu. In Food, Ecology and Culture: Readings in the Anthropology of Dietary Practices, pp. 101–108 [John, RKRobson, , editor]. New York, NY:Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.Google Scholar
Gardner, DR, Panter, KE, James, LF & Stegelmeier, BL (1998) Abortifacient effects of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and common juniper (Juniperus communis) on cattle. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 40, 260–263.Google ScholarPubMed
Johnson, AE, James, LF & Spillett, J (1976) The abortifacient and toxic effects of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) on domestic sheep. Journal of Range Management 29, 278–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karim, SSM, Hillier, K, Somers, K & Trussell, RR (1971) The effects of prostaglandins E2 and F2α administered by different routes on the uterine activity and the cardiovascular system in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Journal of Obstetrics and Gyn˙aecology of the British Commonwealth 78, 172–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keharo, J & Bouquet, A (1950) Plantes Medicinales et Toxiques de la Cote d'Ivoire Haute Volta (Medicinal and Poisonous Plants in the Ivory Coast Upper Volta). Paris: Vigot Freres.Google Scholar
Lau, IF, Saksena, SK & Chang, MC (1975) Prostaglandin F2-alpha for induction of midterm abortion: a comparative study. Fertility and Sterility 26, 74–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lobel, BL, Levi, E, Kisch, ES & Shelesnyak, MC (1967) Studies on the mechanism of nidation - experimental investigation on the origin of eosinophillic granulocytes in the uterus of rats. Acta Endocrinologica 55, 45–47.Google Scholar
Nag, M (1994) Beliefs and practices about food during pregnancy. Economic and Political Weekly, India. September 10, pp. 2427–2438.Google Scholar
Quisumbing, EA (1951) Medicinal Plants of the Philippines, Department of Agricultural and Natural Resources Technical Bulletin 16. Philippines: Manila Bureau of Printing.Google Scholar
Tang, CS (1979) Macrocyclic piperidine and piperidine alkaloid in Carica papaya. Food Chemistry and Nutrition 1, 55–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waller, DP, Niu, X & Kim, I (1986) Toxicology and mechanism of action of gossypol. In Male Contraception: Advances and Future Prospects, pp. 183–200 [Zatuchni, GI, Goldsmith, A, Spieler, JM and Sciarra, JJ, editors]. Philadelphia, PA: Harper & Row Publishers.Google Scholar
Williamson, EM, Okpako, DT & Evans, FJ (1996) Pharmacological Methods in Phytotherapy Research, 1st ed. Vol. 1. Selection, Preparation and Pharmacological Evaluation of Plant Material. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Google Scholar