Papaya, The Anti Cancer Functional Food Targeted by Chemotherapy and Pharmacology

Papaya extract may be the next potential pharmacological target to identify the ingredients for the treatment of cancers, some scientists suggested.

Cancer is the class of chronic conditions characterized by the abnormal cell growth caused by the alteration of healthy cell DNA which starts on the surface of the inner lining of the bodily organs.

At the advanced stage, after colonizing most of the tissue of the primary organ, the malignant cells travel a distance away through lymph and blood to infect other healthy tissue and organs.

Researchers do not know why people with similar health conditions, family history, and race, some are susceptible to cell alternation in the initiation of cancer while others do not.

There has not been much success in the debate over whether the cancerous state is originated in a single cell or whether it is a reflection of aberrant behavior on the part of a ‘society of cells’.

The tissue organization field theory (TOFT) suggested that cancer onset is a result of a breakdown of tissue organization involving many cells from different embryological layers. In other words, cancer is a tissue-based disease and that proliferation is the default state of all cells.

The cancer stem cell (CSC) theory hypothesized that cancers are the result of genetic and epigenetic changes that take place within single cells. In other words, cancer is driven by a rare subpopulation of cells, designated cancer stem cells (CSC).

Other researchers proposed that cancer is the rewiring of the cell’s protein interaction networks mediated by intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that drives the tumorigenic process.

In other words, the disorders of signaling proteins and amino acid residues are the culprits that drive the onset of cancers and chronic diseases.

Regardless of the hypotheses, as of today, the exact causes of cancer are still unknown. Certain risk factors are known to associate with the onset of cancers, including an increase in age, excessive alcohol drinking, cancer-causing chemicals, chronic inflammation, poor diet, hormones therapy, immunosuppression, and infectious pathogens, according to epidemiological studies.

According to the World center fund International, in 2012, there were 14.1 million cancer cases, affecting 7.4 million in men and 6.7 million in women. This number is expected to increase to 24 million by 2035.

Papaya, a species of Carica Papaya, belonging to the family Caricaceae, native to the tropics of the Americas.

The fruit has been used in traditional medicine as remedies for many various ailments, including gastric problems, inflammation, and cancer.

The major chemical constituents of papaya include ethanol extract including benzylisothiocyanate are said to exhibit immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, anti cellular oxidative stress, anti neural tube defect, etc. effects.

Aqueous extract, according to University of Tokyo, on various tumor cell lines, showed to inhibit significant growth activity, through immunomodulatory effects including, interleukin 12 (also known as natural killer cell stimulatory factor 2), IL-12p70(a heterodimer), IFN-gamma(regulation of immunologically relevant genes) and TNF-alpha(innate immune response against pathogenic infection).


Fermented papaya, a traditional dish of many Southeast Asian cultures, processed antioxidant, and immune-modulating potentials, through the influence of signaling cascades associated with cell growth and survival, from epidemiological and in-vitro studies of patients with diabetes.

In Azoxymethane (AOM) induced colon cancer in rats, papaya peel extract (PapPE), showed a significantly ameliorated the cytotoxic effects of AOM, through the potent antioxidant activities in the reduction of oxidative stress (glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation).

In cultured human lung cancer H69 cell, Benzyl glucosinolate (BG) found in the pulp and the seed of papaya, inhibited cancer cell proliferation at a dose of 6.5 μmol, probably through its effect in superoxide generation and apoptosis induction.

Benzylisothiocyanate (BITC), another chemical constituent also mediated apoptosis of prostate and pancreases cancer cells through activation of both procaspase-8 pathways(initiation of apoptosis) and cell cycle arrest, inhibition of the advanced ovarian cancer cell lines through activation of caspase-3(activation in the apoptotic cell) and -9(activation of apoptotic process), and cleavage of PARP-1(repair of DNA damage) and breast cancer through generation of reactive oxygen species.

Dr/ Nguyen and the research team at The University of Queensland told PubMed "(The) extract-based or specific compound-based investigations and emphasize the aspects (of papaya) that warrant future research to explore the bioactive in C. papaya for their anticancer activities".

Taken altogether, fermented papaya containing major chemical constituents such as Benzyl glucosinolate (BG) and Benzylisothiocyanate (BITC) may be considered a functional food for the prevention and an adjunct therapy combined with the conventional medicine for the treatment of cancers, but further studies with large sample size and multi-centers are necessary to reaffirm papaya anti cancers possibility.


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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.
References
(1) #Healthy #Foods - Fruits - Papaya (Carica Papaya)(Better living and living health)
(2) Anticancer activity of Carica papaya: a review by Nguyen TT1, Shaw PN, Parat MO, Hewavitharana AK. (PubMed)
(3) Cancer statistics Worldwide(World center fund International)
(4) Aqueous extract of Carica papaya leaves exhibits anti-tumor activity and immunomodulatory effects by Otsuki N, Dang NH, Kumagai E, Kondo A, Iwata S, Morimoto C.(PubMed)
(5) Diabetes as a risk factor to cancer: Functional role of fermented papaya preparation as phytonutraceutical adjunct in the treatment of diabetes and cancer by Aruoma OI, Somanah J, Bourdon E, Rondeau P, Bahorun T. (PubMed)
(6) Amelioration of azoxymethane induced-carcinogenesis by reducing oxidative stress in rat colon by natural extracts by Waly MI, Al-Rawahi AS, Al Riyami M, Al-Kindi MA, Al-Issaei HK, Farooq SA, Al-Alawi A, Rahman MS.(PubMed)
(7) Content determination of benzyl glucosinolate and anti-cancer activity of its hydrolysis product in Carica papaya L, by Li ZY1, Wang Y, Shen WT, Zhou P.(PubMed)
(8) Papaya seed represents a rich source of biologically active isothiocyanate by Nakamura Y, Yoshimoto M, Murata Y, Shimoishi Y, Asai Y, Park EY, Sato K, Nakamura Y. (PubMed)
(9) Dietary isothiocyanate mediated apoptosis of human cancer cells is associated with Bcl-xL phosphorylation by Basu A, Haldar S.(PubMed)
(10) Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells in vitro by Kalkunte S, Swamy N, Dizon DS, Brard L(PubMed)
(11) Benzyl isothiocyanate-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells is initiated by reactive oxygen species and regulated by Bax and Bak by Xiao D1, Vogel V, Singh SV. (PubMed)
(12) Ficus carica L. (Moraceae): Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses and Biological Activities by Mawa S, Husain K, Jantan I.(PubMed)