Abstract

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH FOR DENGUE USING MEDICINAL PLANT CARICA PAPAYA LINN

Fathima Benazir*, Gowlikar Abhinayani

Abstract

Dengue is a viral disease that today affects a vast number of people in over 125 countries and is responsible for a sizable number of deaths. Dengue is caused by single stranded RNA virus, belonging to family Flaviviridae having four distinct serotypes DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV- 3 and DENV-4 respectively, that spread by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. In the absence of an effective antiviral drug to treat the disease, various treatments are being investigated. Studies have indicated that the juice of the leaves of the Carica papaya plant from the family Caricaceae could help to increase the platelet levels in these patients. The present article reviews on the medicinal plant Carica papaya available for its anti-dengue activity. Some of the studies and case reports published in literature raise the possibility that this treatment could be an important option in the future. Further large-scale studies could establish the usefulness or ineffectiveness of this natural product in the treatment of dengue.

Keywords: Medicinal plant, Carica papaya, Dengue, Dengue treatment, Thrombocytopenia.