Studies on the antiheliminthic activities of seeds of Carica papaya Linn.

In many tropical countries papaya seed is administered as an anthelmintic.
In Central and South America the seeds are used as vermifuge and emmenogogue
(1). In some parts of India, the seeds are administered with honey for
expelling roundworms. Recent in vivo studies on the anthelminthic activity of
papaya seeds by Robinson (2) and Fernando (3) have given little conflicting
results. Chemical studies by Merck (4) and Rijn (5) have shown that an alkaloid,
carpaine (C14I-12802N), is present in significant amounts in the seeds. This
alkaloid has also been isolated from leaves and fruits. To and Kyu (6) claim
that carpaine is a potent amoebicide. Another alkaloid called carpasemine has
also been isolated from papaya seed (7).
Papaya seed, although being widely used as a herbal drug for its ascarifuge
action, no experimental evidence, is however, available on its in vitro activities
on helminths.
There have been many attempts to maintain the nematodes outside the
host in artificial cultural mediam. Cavier and Savel (8) have studied the survival
time of adult ascaris in a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium carbonate and
also in various complex media like Ringer's and Tyrode's solutions. Robinson
and Gade (9) have suggested the use of Baldwin's solution for worms for in vitro
cultures.
In the present communication, the results of in vitro studies on the ascaricidal
activities of C. papaya seeds on Toxascaris transfuga, Ascaris sp. and Ascaris lumbricoides
var. suis are reported. Chopra et al. (10), Sollman (11) and others (12) have
tested the action of thymol and other anthelmintics on earthworms. Due to the
non-availability of adequate numbers of parasitic test worms for trials on the
solubility of the vermicidal agent of the seed in some solvents and studies on the
stability of the drug-action on storage, earthworm (Pheretima sp.) was used as
test organism in these experiments.