Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry I993, 8(1) 47-50

EFFECT OF FEEDING CARICA PAPAYA (PAPITA) FRUITS O N BLOOD LIPID PROFILE OF

ALBINO RABBITS.

AJAI KUMAR, M.C. PANT 1, H.N. PANDEY, J.L. AGGARWAL 2, R.S. SHARMA 3, L.D. JOSHI AND S. SINGH

Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Pharmacy, G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur - 208002 and S.N. Medical College, Agra.

ABSTRACT

Effect of feeding ripe and unripe papaya fruit pulps were investigated on blood lipid profile of normal male adult albino rabbits by giving them pulps separately at the dose of 15 and 30g per day along with standard diet over a period of six weeks. As compared to controls both fruit pulps resulted in highly significant (p <0.001) and consistent lowering of serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides and elevation in phospholipids and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at 1,3 and 6 weeks of fruit pulp feeding indicating a dose dependent effect. Observations clearly support medicinal value of C. Papaya in the manage- ment of atherosclerosis, fatty liver, ischaemic changes and consequential myocardial infarction.

INTRODUCTION

Prolonged elevated levels of serum cholesterol are often accompanied by premature or more severe a therosclerosis (1,2). Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglycridemia appear to be the importan t risk factors for atherosclerosis (3). Increase in cholesterol associated with rise in low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and increase in triglyceride with a elevation in very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C). High density iipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) has been found to be inversely related with development of atherosclerosis.

In recent times many drugs, chemicals, dietary manipulations and indigeneous medicinal plants (4 to 9) have been tried to reduce the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in blood so as to reduce the risk of development of atherosolerosis and Coronary Artery Diseaae (CAD (4-9). Carica papaya (papita) has been described in the old literature of traditional medicine to have curative and ameliorative effects in the different human diseases related to liver, heart, spleen and kidney (10). In relatively recent literature both ripe and unripe fruits are mentioned to be cardiotonic and relieve obesity and is diuretic and very useful in heart disease (11). Till now most of the work on this fruit had been confined to its chemical analysis and physiological and pharmacological action of its alkaloid Carpain which is now listed as cardiotonic and diuretic (12 to 17). However, no information is available regarding the biochemical effects exerted after its regular intake either as vegetable or as ripe fruits to evaluate its traditional claims. Therefore, in the present

Address for correspondence L~r. Ajai Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur - 208002.

48 KUMAR ET AL. 1993

study a biochemical assessment of the effect of intake of ripe and unripe fruit pulps on blood lipid profile has been investigated in the albino rabbits.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Thirty six male young adult healthy albino rabbits (Age 10 to 12 months) having body weigh t between 1.2 to 1.5 Kg were selected, numbered and caged separately in the metabolic cages under ambient conditions.All the rabbits were kept under identical conditions for 60 days and during this period they were given 120 g. Standard pellet diet each day (Gold Mohur Rabbit feed, Lipton India Ltd.) with water ad- libitum. This was done for the attainment of stabilized values on standard diet about 80% amounting approximately 90-95 g . / day (caloric value = 3.2 calorie per g. of standard diet). At the end of 60th day of their stabilization the blood lipid profile of each animals was analysed. These values of blood lipid profile was taken as 0 day value. These rabbits were then divided into 3 groups and group was further sub-divided into two batches. Each batch thus had six male albino rabbits. Then the experimental diet was started as follows.

A. Control group : Batch I and II animals comprising the control group were fed 120 g standard diet.

B. Experimental group-I : I Batch 1 Each animal was fed 15 g deseeded unripe fruit pulp + 105 g basal diet. II Batch - 2 - Animals of this batch were fed 30 g deseeded unripe fruit pulp + 90 g basal diet.

(1) Batch - 1 - Rabbits were fed 15 g deseeded ripe fruit pulp + 105 g standard diet.

(I1) Batch - 2 - Animals of this batch received 30 g deseeded ripe fruit pulp + 90 g standard diet.

The animals of control group, batch I and II of experimental groups were found to consu me about 80, 90 and 100% of the provided diet respectively. Animals of batch-I and II of experimental groups ate the papaya pulp completely (equivalent 0.32 calorie/g of papaya pulp). Thus calculated calories consumed by all the animals of different groups and batches were similar and had been on iso-caloric diet.

Respective feedings to all animals of three groups were continued daily for six weeks with water ad- libitum. Blood samples of the 12 hours fasted animals of the six batches were collected from their median ear vein at the end of one, three and six weeks of their respective feedings and serum was analysed for the parameters of blood lipid profile - Serum total cholesterol (STC) TM, low density and high density lipopotein- cholesterol (LDL-C and HDL-C) 19, Serum triglycerides (TG) 2~ and serum total phospholipids (STPL) 21.

RESULTS

Feeding of unripe as well as ripe fruit pulp consistently lowered the STC levels at the end of 1,3 and 6 weeks (Table - I). Reduction in STC was progressive with duration of papaya feedings. As compared to con trois the changes of STC lowering in experimentals were highly significant (P < 0.001 ). The results further indicated that ilflowered LDL-C and triglycerides and raised HDL-C and STPL significantly (Tables I1 & V). Ripe fruit pulp lowered the TG more than unripe (Table IV).

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VOL 8(1)

D I S C U S S I O N

Hypolipidemic effect of papaya fruit 49

The myocardial ischemia is one of the most important cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world after the age of 40 years in males and 50 years in females". It is considered to be mainly due to a therosclerosis, development of which is due to many predisposing factors such as hypertension, hyperlipi- demia, cigarette smoking, male sex and diabetes mellitus. There is close association between the plasma lipoprotein profile, cholesterol and morbidity and mortality from coronory atherosclerosis z~. There is also unequivocal data demonstrating that the lowering of plasma cholesterol in human will have beneficial effect on reducing the incidence of atherosclerosis and its sequelae 2+. Diet is one of the most important method of retarding the development of atherosclerosis. Many indigenous plants had been shown to possess hy- polidemic effects. They include commiphora a mukul (gum guggul) 4, onion s, garlic 6, Karela ?, ajowan 8 and methi 9.

In the present preliminary study we have observed that both unripe and ripe C. papaya fruits pulps had STC, TG and LDL-C lowering effects and concomitantly raised the HDL-C and total serum PL levels. The changes were highly significant (p < 0.001). Available data support the direct relationship of LDL-C and inverse relationship of HDL-C to the risk of development of CAD 24. A decrease in HDL-C concentration from 60 to 30 mg/d l was found to be associated with a double prevalence of CAD 2s. Therefore, lowering of STC, LDL-C and increase in HDL-C and STPL levels by the fruit pulp seems to provide an ideal condition for prevention of any atherogenic development, fatty liver, ischaemic changes and consequent myocardial infarction. A compound carpain, present in papaya, has been shown to have cardiotonic and diuretic properties. Whether the beneficial effects observed in the present study are due to arpain alone or a set of substances needs to be elucidated.

50 K U M A R ET AL. 1993

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