RESEARCH ON PAPAYA LEAVES TO DENGUE (Part 1)

RESEARCH RELATED DONE to investigate the platelet increasing property of Carica Papaya Leaves Juice (CPLJ) in patients with Dengue Fever (DF) recently. An open labeled randomized controlled trial was carried out on 228 patients with DF and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF). Reported that approximately half the patients received the juice, for 3 consecutive days while the others remained as controls and received the standard management. Their full blood count was monitored 8 hours for 48 hours. Comparison of mean platelet count between intervention and control group showed that mean platelet count in intervention group was significantly higher than control group. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology'' blog I am happy to share a study regarding this research.  

It's good to know that in Malaysia is blessed with 12,000 species of flowering plants of which 1,300 have medicinal properties. There is a rapidly growing response to the use of medicinal plants by the Malaysian population. WHO estimates that in many countries 80% of the rural patients seek few alternative treatments using medicinal plants. Betik or Carica papaya is a member of the Caricaceae and  criteria include the plant as a dicotyledonous, polygamous, and diploid species. It originated from Southern Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America. It is now cultivated in many tropical countries such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and the West Indies including Malaysia. Malaysia is known to be one of the top 5 papaya exporting countries. The papaya fruit is globally consumed either in its fresh form or the form of juices, jams, and crystallized dry fruit. The ripe fruit is said to be a rich source of vitamin A, C, and calcium. There are many commercial products derived from the different parts of the C. papaya plant, the most prominent being papain and chymopapain, which is produced from the latex of the young fruit, stem, and the leaves. C. papaya leaves have been used in folk medicine for centuries. Recent studies have shown its beneficial effect as an anti-inflammatory agent reported for its wound healing properties, antitumour as well as immune-modulatory effects and as an antioxidant. A toxicity study (acute, subacute, and chronic toxicity) conducted on Sprague Dawley rats administered with Carica papaya leaves juice (CPLJ) of the sekaki variant revealed that it was safe for oral consumption.

Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral disease carried by Aedes aegypti as the vector, caused by 4 possible viral serotypes, namely, serotype 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Flaviviridae family. In Malaysia, dengue cases have been on the rise since 2002. Total of 18,371 cases of dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) were reported last year and had claimed 33 lives in the same year. There is no specific antiviral drug available for the treatment of dengue infection. Infected patients receive supportive management with fluids, blood and blood, products complying to the Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on Management of Dengue, 2010. Each episode of infection is known to induce a life-long protective immunity to the homologous serotype but confers only partial and transient protection against subsequent infection by the other serotypes. Secondary infection is a major risk factor for DHF possibly due to antibody-dependent enhancement. A patient with dengue fever presents typically with fever, headache, and rash known as the dengue triad. There are many other nonspecific signs and symptoms associated with DF and patient can progress to DHF and typically manifests as abdominal pain, bleeding, and even circulatory collapse. The clinical course of dengue has an abrupt onset followed by three phases, namely, the febrile phase, the critical phase and the recovery phase. It is during the critical phase that thrombocytopaenia, characterized by a decrease in platelet count below 100 000 per mm3 from the baseline and haemoconcentration, characterized by an increase of haematocrit by 20% or more, is detectable before the subsidence of fever and the onset of shock.

The study stated that certain genes have been shown to influence platelet production and platelet aggregation, namely, the Arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase (ALOX 12) also known as the Platelet-type Lipoxygenase as well as the Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor (PTAFR). An increase in activity of these genes is required for platelet production and activation. The ALOX 12 gene is strongly expressed in megakaryocytes and has been known to be responsible for the 12-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) production of platelets. The PTAFR gene was been found to be expressed in megakaryocytes indicating that it could be a precursor for platelet production in addition to its well known role in platelet aggregation. Safety studies based on OECD guidelines for acute, subacute, and chronic toxicity were conducted on C. papaya extract and showed that it was found to be safe for human consumption. The present study was conducted to determine and investigate the traditional claim that CPLJ increases the platelet count in patients with DF and DHF. This article are in two segment that was Part1 and Part 2 respectively. Thanks....

By,

M Anem,

Senior Agronomist,

Malacca City,

Malacca,

Mlaysia.

Febuary 2025).