Carica papaya

Strongyloidiasis is a human parasitic disease caused by the helminth Strongyloides stercoralis whose treatment is particularly difficult in immunosuppressed patients due to their low responsiveness to conventional therapy. Carica papaya and its isolated compounds benzyl isothiocyanate, carpaine and carpasemine are promising compound for the treatment of Strongyloides infections due to their anthelmintic action. This study aims to examine the in vitro ovicidal and larvicidal activity of C. papaya seed hexane extract against Strongyloides venezuelensis, using egg hatching tests and larval motility tests as efficiency markers. The crude extract at the concentrations of 566 -0.0566 mg/mL or the control with albendazole (0.025 mg/mL) and negative controls (water and PBS) were incubated with an equal volume of egg suspension (± 50 specimens) followed by counting of the specimens after 48 h. The same extract and dilutions were added to L3 larvae suspensions (±50 specimens) followed by analysis of larvae viability after 24, 48, and 72 h. The extract inhibited egg hatching with high efficiency at concentrations of 56.6 mg/mL (95.74%) and 5.66 mg/mL (92.16%). At the concentrations of 566 mg/mL (100%) and 56.66 mg/mL (97.32%), the extract inhibited larval motility as effectively as ivermectin (0.316 mg/mL; 100%), and more effectively than the other dilutions and the negative controls. The larvicidal effect depended on the extract concentration, but not on the treatment period. Therefore, C. papaya seed hexane extract has anthelmintic potential against S. venezuelensis and is a promising compound for the development of phytotherapies to treat strongyloidiasis.

Latex from Carica papaya is rich in bioactive compounds, especially papain, which may help to control parasitic diseases. This study evaluated the efficacy of latex from C. papaya and purified papain against Strongyloides venezuelensis. The Egg Hatching Test (EHT) and the Larval Motility Test (LMT) using fresh and frozen latex (250mg/mL), lyophilized latex (34mg/mL), and purified papain (2.8 mg/mL) were performed. Albendazole (0.025 mg/mL) and ivermectin (316 ppm) were used as positive controls. EHT and LMT were carried out through the incubation of each solution with S. venezuelensis eggs or larvae (± 100 specimens), and results were analyzed after 48h (EHT) or 24, 48, and 72h (LMT). EHT showed that latex preparations at higher concentrations (1:10 to 1:100) resulted in partial or complete destruction of eggs and larvae inside the eggs. The result from the 1:1,000 dilution was similar to the positive control. LMT showed effectiveness in all the tested dilutions compared to negative...

A set of 81 new microsatellite markers for Carica papaya L. previously identified by data mining using freely available sequence information from Genbank were tested for polymorphism using 30 germplasm accessions from the Papaya Germplasm Bank (PGM) at Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura Tropical (CNPMF) and 18 landraces. The data were used to estimate pairwise genetic distances between the genotypes. A neighbor-joining based dendrogram was used to define clusters and infer possible genetic structuring of the collection. Most microsatellites were polymorphic (73%), with an observed number of alleles per locus ranging from one to eleven. The levels of observed and expected heterozygosity for 51 polymorphic loci varied from 0.00 to 0.85 and from 0.08 to 0.82, averaging 0.19 and 0.59, respectively. Forty-four percent of microsatellites showed polymorphism information content (PIC) higher than 0.50. The compound microsatellites seem to be more informative than dinucleotide and trinucleotide repeats in average alleles per locus and PIC. Among dinucleotides, AG/TC or GA/CT repeat motifs exhibited more informativeness than TA/AT, GT/CA and TG/AC repeat motifs. The neighbor-joining analysis based on shared allele distance could differentiate all the papaya accessions and landraces as well as differences in their genetic structure. This set of markers will be useful for examining parentage, inbreeding and population structure in papaya.

El tratamiento pregerminativo de enterrar las semillas en el suelo tiene efectos positivos en la germinación y el establecimiento de las plántulas. Tratamientos pregerminativos al maíz (Zea mays) aumentan su germinación y el establecimiento de las plántulas en condiciones controladas y de estrés. Por tanto, pretratamientos germinativos en el suelo donde se cultivará esta especie podría incrementar la emergencia. En este estudio se evaluó la imbibición de semillas enterradas en suelo salino y no salino y de semillas con preacondicionamiento hídrico. La imbibición se evaluó nuevamente durante la germinación incluyéndose semillas sin pretratamiento (testigo). Las plántulas resultantes se sembraron en macetas con suelo salino y no salino en una casa de sombra (diseño experimental 4 × 2). A los 11, 15, 18 y 22 d después de la siembra se midió la altura, número de hojas, área foliar, biomasa de la raíz, tallo, hojas y total y se calculó la proporción de: área foliar, masa foliar, masa del tallo y raíz/vástago. Se realizó análisis de varianza con los datos de a contenidos finales de agua, porcentajes de germinación, velocidades de imbibición y de germinación y variables de crecimiento. Para conocer las diferencias entre los tratamientos se aplicó la prueba de Tukey (p£0.05). Los tratamientos pregerminativos en ambos suelos incrementaron la velocidad máxima y porcentaje final de germinación y la acumulación de biomasa. En condiciones salinas el crecimiento de las plántulas provenientes de semillas tratadas en suelo salino fue mejor. Por tanto, el tipo de suelo utilizado en el pretratamiento confiere a las plántulas ventajas al crecer en el mismo tipo de suelo, aún cuando las condiciones sean adversas. Palabras clave: estrés salino, preacondicionamiento hídrico, preacondicionamiento natural, vigor de las plántulas.

Introduction. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be considered important rhizospheric beneficial microorganisms. Their use as biocontrol strategies against soilborne pathogens such as nematodes should be taken into account. However, optimal management of soil microbiota communities is not easy because of the high specificity involved in these types of interactions. The aim of our study was to determine whether the combined inoculation of two AMF species and a Bacillus consortium based on three strains previously described as PGPR in other crops were able to reduce nematode infection and damage on papaya. Materials and methods. Papaya seedlings were inoculated with two AMF isolates (Glomus mosseae or G. manihotis) at the beginning of the nursery phase. Once the mycorrhizal symbiosis was established, a Bacillus consortium was applied. Nematode inoculum was applied 20 d after transplanting to individual pots. Plants were harvested 160 d after nematode inoculation. Results. In terms of plant development and nutrition, benefits due to AMF inoculation persisted in the presence of PGPR. However, the effect of dual inoculation was different, depending on the Glomus species. This positive effect was also evident in plants with nematode. Meloidogyne infection was significantly reduced in mycorrhizal plants. However, the addition of PGPR does not seem to improve the results of AMF single treatments in terms of nematode infection. Conclusion. Dual application of AMF and PGPR must be considered for papaya threatened by the root-knot nematode, although a previous screening should be done in order to select the best microbe combination to optimise results. Spain / Carica papaya / arbuscular mycorrhizae / Glomus / rhizobacteria / Bacillus / symbiosis / growth / plant nutrition / biological control Effet de l'inoculation combinée de champignons mycorhiziens à arbuscules et de rhizobactéries favorisant la croissance des plantes, sur le papayer (Carica papaya L.) infecté par Meloidogyne incognita, nématode des racines. Résumé --Introduction. Les champignons mycorhiziens à arbuscules (CMA) et les rhizobactéries favorisant la croissance des plantes (RFCP) peuvent être considérés comme d'importants micro-organismes bénéfiques à la rhizosphère. Leur utilisation dans une stratégie de lutte biologique contre les pathogènes du sol, contre les nématodes par exemple, devrait être envisagée. Cependant, la gestion optimale des populations de micro-organismes du sol n'est pas facile en raison de la grande spécificité de ces types d'interactions. Le but de notre étude a été de déterminer si l'inoculation combinée de deux espèces de CMA et d'un consortium de rhizobactéries Bacillus spp., basé sur trois souches précédemment décrites comme RFCP pour d'autres cultures, pouvaient limiter l'infection des nématodes et leurs dommages sur papayer. Matériel et méthodes. De jeunes plants de papayers ont été inoculés avec deux isolats de CMA (Glomus mosseae ou G. manihotis) en début de croissance en pépinière. Une fois la symbiose mycorhizienne établie, un consortium de Bacillus spp. a été appliqué. Une inoculation par le nématode Meloidogyne incognita a été effectuée 20 j après transplantation des plants en pots individuels. Les jeunes papayers ont été étudiés 160 j après l'inoculation du nématode. Résultats. L'effet bénéfique de l'inoculation de CMA sur le développement et la nutrition des plants a persisté en présence de RFCP. Cependant, l'effet de la double inoculation a été différent selon l'espèce de Glomus considérée. Cet effet positif a également été évident pour les plants infectés par des nématodes. L'infection par Meloidogyne a été sensiblement réduite dans les plants mycorhizés. Cependant, pour cette infection par le nématode, l'addition de RFCP n'a pas semblé améliorer les résultats imputables à l'utilisation de CMA seuls. Conclusion. Une double application de CMA et de RFCP pourrait être envisagée pour protéger le papayer menacé par le nématode de la racine, mais un criblage préliminaire devra être fait afin de choisir la meilleure combinaison de micro-organismes apte à optimiser des résultats.

Sex chromosomes in Xowering plants evolved recently and many of them remain homomorphic, including those in papaya. We investigated the chromosomal location of papaya's small male speciWc region of the hermaphrodite Y (Y h ) chromosome (MSY) and its genomic features. We conducted chromosome Xuorescence in situ hybridization mapping of Y h -speciWc bacterial artiWcial chromosomes (BACs) and placed the MSY near the centromere of the papaya Y chromosome. Then we sequenced Wve MSY BACs to examine the genomic features of this specialized region, which resulted in the largest collection of contiguous genomic DNA sequences of a Y chromosome in Xowering plants. Extreme gene paucity was observed in the papaya MSY with no functional gene identiWed in 715 kb MSY sequences. A high density of retroelements and local sequence duplications were detected in the MSY that is suppressed for recombination. Location of the papaya MSY near the centromere might have provided recombination suppression and fostered paucity of genes in the male spe-ciWc region of the Y chromosome. Our Wndings provide critical information for deciphering the sex chromosomes in papaya and reference information for comparative studies of other sex chromosomes in animals and plants. Carica papaya • Repetitive sequences • Segmental duplication • Sex chromosome evolution • Suppression of recombination Communicated by Y. Van de Peer.

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a major tree fruit crop of tropical and subtropical regions with an estimated genome size of 372 Mbp. We present the analysis of 4.7% of the papaya genome based on BAC end sequences (BESs) representing 17 million high-quality bases. Microsatellites discovered in 5,452 BESs and Xanking primer sequences are available to papaya breeding programs at papaya/BES. Sixteen percent of BESs contain plant repeat elements, the vast majority (83.3%) of which are class I retrotransposons. Several novel papaya-speciWc repeats were identiWed. Approximately 19.1% of the BESs have homology to Arabidopsis cDNA. Increasing numbers of completely sequenced plant genomes and BES projects enable novel approaches to comparative plant genomics. Paired BESs of Carica, Arabidopsis, Populus, Brassica and Lycopersicon were mapped onto the completed genomes of Arabidopsis and Populus. In general the level of microsynteny was highest between closely related organisms. However, papaya revealed a higher degree of apparent synteny with the more distantly related poplar than with the more closely related Arabidopsis. This, as well as signiWcant colinearity observed between peach and poplar genome sequences, support recent observations of frequent genome rearrangements in the Arabidopsis lineage and suggest that the poplar genome sequence may be more useful for elucidating the papaya and other rosid genomes. These insights will play a critical role in selecting species and sequencing strategies that will optimally represent crop genomes in sequence databases.

To study the potential of Costa Rican indigenous germplasm for the genetic improvement of the common papaya, 32 feral, seven home garden and seven commercially cultivated plants were sampled for in situ morphological and/or isozyme characterization. A list of 28 quantitative and 30 qualitative traits was used for vegetative and floral parts. Considerable variation was observed for fruit traits, from typical wild types (very small seedy fruits with thin yellow mesocarp) to commercial fruits (medium to large fruits with abundant orange or reddish pulp). The former were more common along the Pacific Coast, while introgression between wild and cultivated materials appeared more common on the Caribbean side. Hermaphroditism was not observed in feral populations. All these unimproved materials were also clearly differentiated from commercial cultivars by larger leaves and petioles, with less marked leaf divisions, presence of bracts, and smaller flowers. Analysis of variance showed a significant sex effect on length and lobulation of the leaves. Four isozyme systems, out of eight allowing good resolution, revealed polymorphism. However, only eight different zymotypes could be identified. Cluster analysis did not allow detection of any geographic structuration neither in morphological diversity nor in isozyme diversity, despite the cordilleras separating the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, which gives a new example of the contrast between the wide morphological variation and the poor genetic diversity observed in the common papaya.

BACKGROUND: Tropical fruits are rich in phenolic and carotenoid compounds, and these are associated with cultivar, pre‐ and postharvest handling factors. The aim of this work was to identify major phenolics and carotenoids in ‘Maradol’ papaya fruit and to investigate their response to storage temperature.RESULTS: Ferulic acid, caffeic acid and rutin were identified in ‘Maradol’ papaya fruit exocarp as the most abundant phenolic compounds, and lycopene, β‐cryptoxanthin and β‐carotene were identified in mesocarp as the major carotenoids. Ranges of contents of ferulic acid (1.33–1.62 g kg−1 dry weight), caffeic acid (0.46–0.68 g kg−1 dw) and rutin (0.10–0.16 g kg−1 dw) were found in papaya fruit, which tend to decrease during ripening at 25 °C. Lycopene (0.0015 to 0.012 g kg−1 fresh weight) and β‐cryptoxanthin (0.0031 to 0.0080 g kg−1 fw) were found in fruits stored at 25 °C, which tend to increase during ripening. No significant differences in β‐carotene or rutin contents were observe...

of South America (7). Its latex contains high esterase We describe the purification of a cysteine proteinase and proteolytic activities that range between five-and from latex of Carica candamarcensis, hereby desigeightfold higher than those of its counterpart C. panated CC23. The enzyme has been purified by ionpaya (8). One of the proteinases from C. candamarcensis (proically as a monomer of M r 23,000 and optimal pH of 8.0. teinase C) was purified (9) and more recently the par-It displays a basic isoelectric point, has one cysteine tial sequence of a second enzyme (CC-III) was commuresidue in the active site by titration with E-64, connicated (10). Proteinase CC28, formerly proteinase C, firmed by DNA sequencing, and responds to proteinase inhibitors as a classic cysteine proteinase. The K m and contains a single polypeptide (M r 28,000), a cysteine k cat /K m for CC23 using BAPNA were respectively 14.7 group within the active site, and an NH 2 -terminal se-؎ 1.8 ؋ 10 ؊4 M and 1.3 ؋ 10 3 M ؊1 s ؊1 . Therefore, the quence similar to those of proteinases from C. papaya catalytic efficiency of CC23 is sixfold higher than that and CC-III from C. candamarensis, suggesting a funcof CC-I, another proteinase from the same plant. DNA tional similarity for these proteolytic systems. The enprimers were designed to amplify by PCR a genomic zymes are released when the surface of the unripe fruit sequence related to this enzyme. An 895-bp DNA fragis injured, thus we attributed them a protective role ment was cloned and sequenced. It shows strong homology with chymopapain isoform IV from C. (11). The latex bleeding proceeds for a few minutes until chymopapain isoform II (73%) and CC-III (77%) from a clot forms around the wounded area (12). The coagu- lation process is vital for plant defense against possible Key Words: Carica candamarcensis; Carica papaya; endopathogen attack (13, 14). A recent study describes the peptidase; cysteine proteinase; papain; chymopapain; latex; effect of a plant proteinase as a modulator of the pathplant proteinase. way involving mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases in T cells (15). This finding supports the notion that plant extracellular proteinases may be part of a Latex of Carica papaya L. contains a mixture of cyssignaling process involving the intracellular MAP kiteine endopeptidases (1), such as papain (EC 3.4.22.2) nase pathway. We are investigating the identity of each (2), chymopapains A and B (3.4.22.6) (3), papaya endoof these proteolytic activities in latex from C candamarpeptidase III, papaya endopeptidase IV (4, 5), and encensis to learn about their role during clot formation dopeptidase ⍀ (caricain) (6). Fresh or dried latex oband analyzing their similarities with known compotained by injuring leaves or fruits of C. papaya contains nents of the transduction signal pathway. In this work at least some of these proteolytic enzymes. We have we describe the characterization of a third enzyme from described a group of cysteine endopeptidases in Carica candamarcensis L., a cultivar common to many areas C. candamarcensis.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. A high-fat diet, rich in saturated fatty acids and low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, is said to be an important cause of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. In this experimental study, 40 male rabbits were randomly assigned to eight groups of five to receive normal diet, hypercholesterolemic diet, normal diet plus ghee, normal diet plus olive oil, normal diet plus hydrogenated oil, hypercholesterolemic diet plus ghee, hypercholesterolemic diet plus olive oil, and hypercholesterolemic diet plus hydrogenated oil. They received rabbit chow for a period of 12 weeks. At the start and end of the study, fasting blood samples were taken from all animals to measure biochemical factors including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglyceride (TG), fasting blood sugar (FBS), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Moreover, aorta, left and right coronary arteries were disse...

In the present study of phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of seed extract of Carica papaya.  N-hexane extract of Carica papaya seed samples were obtained using maceration. The extraction was carried out by soaking the sample in N-Hexane and kept for 48 hours with shaking at regular intervals. The anti-microbial activity of Carica papaya was studied using the wet diffusion method. The activity was tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhi at different concentrations. The phytochemical screening was done according to the standard method. The screening showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, and tannins among others. This research shows that the Carica papaya seed is rich in medicinal constituents.

In the present study of phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of seed extract of Carica papaya.  N-hexane extract of Carica papaya seed samples was obtained using maceration. The extraction was carried out by soaking the sample in N-Hexane and kept for 48 hours with shaking at regular intervals. The anti-microbial activity of Carica papaya was studied using the wet diffusion method. The activity was tested against different concentrations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhi. The phytochemical screening was done using the standard method. The screening showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, and tannins among others. This research indicates that the Carica papaya seed is rich in medicinal constituents.

Papaya black spot disease is an emerging concern in Karnataka, accompanied by a lack of knowledge regarding the associated pathogen. This study focuses on assessing the cultural and molecular variability of ten Asperisporium caricae isolates responsible for causing papaya black spot disease. The isolates underwent evaluation on twelve distinct solid media, with recorded observations on colony characteristics and sporulation. Among the ten isolates, three exhibited excellent radial growth, five displayed good growth, one had moderate growth, and one isolate demonstrated poor radial growth. All cultural media were subjected to sporulation testing, revealing that two isolates exhibited fair sporulation, five displayed sparse sporulation, and the remaining three showed no sporulation. PCR amplification using ITS 4 and ITS 5 resulted in a 590bp amplicon for all ten A. caricae isolates. Dendrogram clustering grouped the isolates into two clades, where the AcG isolate belonged to clade I, and AcH, AcKa, AcKu, AcMa, AcMU, AcMy, AcNa, AcR, and AcV formed clade II. Notably, the AcG isolate demonstrated lower similarity (62%) compared to other isolates. AcH and AcKu isolates exhibited the highest similarity (85%), followed by AcMa and AcMu (78.5%). The resemblance between AcH and AcKu was evident in certain cultural characteristics as well.

A propagação do mamoeiro Carica papaya L. é realizada por meio de mudas oriundas das sementes. Apesar da importância da semente do mamoeiro para a formação dos pomares comerciais, estudos morfológicos e anatômicos neste sentido são raros. O presente trabalho descreve aspectos morfológicos e anatômicos das estruturas que constituem as sementes de dois genótipos do mamoeiro, Sunrise Solo 783 e Formosa Roxo 45. Sunrise Solo 783 e Formosa Roxo 45 pertencem aos dois grandes grupos 'Solo' e 'Formosa' respectivamente. Os referidos genótipos foram oriundos do banco de germoplasma da Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) em parceria com Empresa Caliman Agrícola S.A. A pesquisa foi conduzida no Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica da Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG.Para a caracterização morfológica procedeu-se a dissecação e observação das estruturas utilizando bisturi, pinças e sexploradora sob microscópio estereoscópio. Para a cara...

The antisickling properties of fermented mixture of dried unripe fruit pulp of Carica papaya and dried Sorghum bicolor leaves, mixed in equal proportions in distilled water, was carried out using sodium metabisulphite sickled red blood cells and the result presented. Equal weight of dried C. papaya fruit pulp and S. bicolor leaves were fermented together in distilled water at room temperature and the aqueous extract obtained and used for antisickling assays. The extract gotten from the materials incubated for 5 days indicated as SP5, was found to have the highest antisickling properties with 93% inhibitory and 84% reversal activities. The concentration of the day 5 extract was further varied. 0.2 ml was found to be the optimum volume of the test extracts.

Males of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), are attracted to and feed on methyl eugenol. The goal of the present study was to determine whether feeding on a methyl eugenol-bearing plant, papaya (Carica papaya L.) would result in a mating advantage for B. dorsalis males. Mating frequencies of males given access to flowers (treated) and flower-deprived males (control) were compared in trials conducted 2 and 7 d after treated males were exposed to the flowers. For both intervals, treated males accounted for a significantly larger number of matings than control males. A second experiment compared female attraction to control and treated males. When at a lek, males display vigorous wing-fanning behavior, presumably to increase dispersal of the sex pheromone. Floral feeding resulted in a significant increase in wingfanning activity but did not appear to affect the attractiveness of the pheromonal signal per se. A field experiment revealed that male captures in methyl eugenol-baited traps were not reduced by prior feeding on papaya flowers. Males of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), are strongly attracted to methyl eugenol (ME hereafter), a compound found in the leaves, flowers, or fruits of plants in over 10 families ). Male attraction is so powerful that ME, when mixed with an insecticide, constitutes an effective suppression tool via 'male annihilation'(Cunningham 1989). This method was, in fact, used successfully to eradicate B. dorsalis from entire islands in the western Pacific . Despite the frequent use of ME in control programs, little attention has been given to the biological function underlying male attraction to this chemical. However, there is increasing evidence that ME has an important role in sexual communication and mating competition. demonstrated that B. dorsalis males fed pure ME concentrated metabolites of this compound in their rectal glands (the presumed site of sex pheromone production), whereas ME-deprived males did not. confirmed this result and also noted (as had Shelly and Dewire 1994) that ME-fed males had a mating advantage over control (unfed) males (see Hee and Tan 1998 for similar results with B. papayae Drew and Hancock). Importantly, enhanced mating success was also noted when B. dorsalis males were provided with flowers of Fagraea berteriana A. Gray (Loganiaceae; and Cassia fistula L. (Fabaceae; Shelly 2000a) both natural sources of ME. While these latter findings suggest a link between ME ingestion and sexual selection in B. dorsalis, investigations of additional ME-containing plants are needed to assess more rigorously the strength and generality of this association. The chief goal of the present study therefore was to examine the effects of feeding on the mating success of oriental fruit flies for another ME-containing plant, papaya, Carica papaya L. , from a third plant family (Caricaceae). Two experiments were conducted in addition to the mating trials. First, female arrivals to fed and unfed males were compared to determine whether plant

Papaya, a fruit crop cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions, is known for its nutritional benefits and medicinal applications. Here we report a 33 draft genome sequence of 'SunUp' papaya, the first commercial virus-resistant transgenic fruit tree 1 to be sequenced. The papaya genome is three times the size of the Arabidopsis genome, but contains fewer genes, including significantly fewer disease-resistance gene analogues. Comparison of the five sequenced genomes suggests a minimal angiosperm gene set of 13,311. A lack of recent genome duplication, atypical of other angiosperm genomes sequenced so far 2-5 , may account for the smaller papaya gene number in most functional groups. Nonetheless, striking amplifications in gene number within particular functional groups suggest roles in the evolution of tree-like habit, deposition and remobilization of starch reserves, attraction of seed dispersal agents, and adaptation to tropical daylengths. Transgenesis at three locations is closely associated with chloroplast insertions into the nuclear genome, and with topoisomerase I recognition sites. Papaya offers numerous advantages as a system for fruit-tree functional genomics, and this draft genome sequence provides the foundation for revealing the basis of Carica's distinguishing morpho-physiological, medicinal and nutritional properties. Papaya is an exceptionally promising system for the exploration of tropical-tree genomes and fruit-tree genomics. It has a relatively small genome of 372 megabases (Mb) 6 , diploid inheritance with nine pairs of chromosomes, a well-established transformation system 7 , a short generation time (9-15 months), continuous flowering throughout the year and a primitive sex-chromosome system 8 . It is a member of the Brassicales, sharing a common ancestor with Arabidopsis about 72 million years ago 9 . Papaya is ranked first on nutritional scores among 38 common fruits, based on the percentage of the United States Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, folate, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, iron and calcium, plus fibre. Consumption of its fruit is recommended for preventing vitamin A deficiency, a cause of childhood blindness in tropical and subtropical developing countries. The fruit, stems, leaves and roots of papaya are used in a wide range of medical applications, including production of papain, a valuable proteolytic enzyme.

A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library was constructed from high-molecular-weight DNA isolated from young leaves of papaya (Carica papaya L.). This BAC library consists of 39168 clones from two separate ligation reactions. The average insert size of the library is 132 kb; 96.5% of the 18700 clones from the first ligation contained inserts that averaged 86 kb in size, 95.7% of the 20468 clones from the second ligation contained inserts that averaged 174 kb in size. Two sorghum chloroplast probes hybridized separately to the library and revealed a total of 504 chloroplast clones or 1.4% of the library. The entire BAC library was estimated to provide 13.7× papaya-genome equivalents, excluding the false-positive and chloroplast clones. High-density filters were made containing 94% or 36864 clones of the library with 12.7× papaya-genome equivalents. Eleven papaya-cDNA and ten Arabidopsis-cDNA probes detected an average of 22.8 BACs per probe in the library. Because of its relatively small genome (372 Mbp/1 C) and its ability to produce ripe fruit 9 to 15 months after planting, papaya shows promise as a model plant for studying genes that affect fruiting characters. A rapid approach to locating fruit-controlling genes will be to assemble a physical map based on BAC contigs to which ESTs have hybridized. A physical map of the papaya genome will significantly enhance our capacity to clone and manipulate genes of economic importance.

Genetic relationships among Carica papaya cultivars, breeding lines, unimproved germplasm, and related species were established using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Seventy-one papaya accessions and related species were analyzed with nine EcoRI–MseI primer combinations. A total of 186 informative AFLP markers was generated and analyzed. Cluster analysis suggested limited genetic variation in papaya, with an average genetic similarity among 63 papaya accessions of 0.880. Genetic diversity among cultivars derived from the same or similar gene pools was smaller, such as Hawaiian Solo hermaphrodite cultivars and Australian dioecious cultivars with genetic similarity at 0.921 and 0.912, respectively. The results indicated that self-pollinated hermaphrodite cultivars were as variable as open-pollinated dioecious cultivars. Genetic diversity between C. papaya and six other Carica species was also evaluated. Carica papaya shared the least genetic similarity with thes...

Acrylamide is present as a contaminant in heated food products, predominantly from the precursor asparagine. Nonanchored inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) are arbitrary multiloci markers produced by PCR amplification with a microsatellite primer. In order to assess the feasibility of microsatellite primers as markers for DNA damage, the study was conducted on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) exposed to different concentrations of acrylamide. Polymorphisms were abundant among plant samples treated with acrylamide in comparison to control (untreated one) tested with 4-tri-nucleotide, 2 tetra-nucleotide, and 3-dinucelotide primers. The primer (CCG)4 was the best tested primer to generate polymorphism between the DNA of plants treated or not by acrylamide. Polymorphisms became evident as the presence and absence of DNA fragments in treated samples compared with the untreated one. The highest number of DNA variation on ISSR patterns was observed at the micromollar concentrations of acrylamide. Acrylamide was able to induce DNA damage in non concentration-dependent manner with effectiveness at micromollar concentrations. This study demonstrated that ISSR markers can be highly reliable for identification of DNA damage induced by acrylamide.

En la industria de alimentos se usan diferentes métodos que permiten deshidratar frutas, vegetales u otros productos prolongando la conservación de estos y logrando un mayor grado de aplicabilidad y uso por parte de consumidores e industria. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo obtener gránulos deshidratados a partir de cáscara de piña cayena lisa para ser usados como materia prima en alimentos naturales e integrales. En la fase inicial del proceso se osmodeshidrata la cáscara de piña, para esto se seleccionó como jarabe una mezcla de azúcar grado comercial + agua potable, la relación fruta jarabe fue 1:3 p/v a una concentración de 60°Brix y a una temperatura de 20°C por 4 horas, posteriormente en una segunda fase la cáscara osmodeshidratada se sometió a un secado con aire en un horno de deshidratación a 75°C por 6 horas, posteriormente se molió hasta alcanzar un tamaño de partícula de menos de 3 mm de diámetro y se evaluaron las características fisicoquímicas y organolépticas, el porce...

Most temperate terrestrial orchids are endangered species. Attempts to produce plantlets from plants of the genus Epipactis by asexual methods have totally failed. This study was conducted using somatic embryogenesis as a rapid vegetative propagation technique for conservation of E. veratrifolia. For these purposes, effects of different types of plant growth regulators (PGRs), different types of explants, light and dark conditions, and the effect of gibberellic acid (GA 3) and Paclobutrazol (PBZ) were investigated on somatic embryogenesis induction. Abscisic acid (ABA) pre-treatment effectiveness on inducting somatic embryogenesis and increasing the number of embryos per explant were investigated. Subsequently, 16 media were tested to find the best medium for plant regeneration and shoot and root proliferation. BA (3 mg L −1) resulted in a better response than the other PGRs by supporting the development of 17 embryos per protocorm. PBZ, which resulted in 11 embryos per explant, was better than GA 3. FAST medium supplemented with organic substances was recognized as the best medium for plant regeneration and shoot and root proliferation. ABA pre-treatment had positive effect on somatic embryogenesis initiation. This study, for the first time, succeeded in finding a rapid and suitable protocol for propagation and genetic resource conservation of E. veratrifolia.

A high-density genetic map of papaya (Carica papaya L.) was constructed using microsatellite markers derived from BAC end sequences and whole-genome shot gun sequences. Fifty-four F2 plants derived from varieties AU9 and SunUp were used for linkage mapping. A total of 707 markers, including 706 microsatellite loci and the morphological marker fruit flesh color, were mapped into nine major and three minor linkage groups. The resulting map spanned 1069.9 cM with an average distance of 1.5 cM between adjacent markers. This sequence-based microsatellite map resolved the very large linkage group 2 (LG 2) of the previous high-density map using amplified fragment length polymorphism markers. The nine major LGs of our map represent papaya's haploid nine chromosomes with LG 1 of the sex chromosome being the largest. This map validates the suppression of recombination at the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) mapped on LG 1 and at potential centromeric regions of other LGs. Se...

Background and Aim: Several approaches have been employed to mitigate methane emissions from livestock, with varied results. This study evaluated the effects of shade-dried ground garlic leaf (GL) powder and papaya leaf (PL) powder as crop waste on feed intake, growth performance, ruminal microbial counts, gut epithelial barrier functions, and meat quality in goats.

Materials and Methods: Forty male adult Beetal goats were randomly divided into five treatment groups: (1) Control (basal diet only); (2) basal diet supplemented with 6% bromodichloromethane (BCM); (3) basal diet supplemented with 30% GL powder; (4) basal diet supplemented with 26% PL powder; and (5) basal diet supplemented with 30% GL powder and 26% PL powder (GP).

Results: Average weight gain, feed conversion ratio, fecal score, and albumin improved in the GP. Aspartate transferase increased significantly in BCM, GL, and PL and was insignificant in the GP group compared with the C group. There was a 13% decrease in methanogen count in PL compared with C, but this difference was not significant between BCM and GP. Ruminal bacteria and protozoa were lowest in GL. Ruminal papilla height and surface area increased in the supplemented groups compared with C (p < 0.05). In vitro experiments using isolated ruminal epithelia revealed a 39% increase in short-circuit current in GP compared with C (p < 0.05). For meat parameters, the pH 24 h decreased significantly in GL compared to BCM.

Conclusion: Dietary supplementations with GL and PL alone or in combination improved growth parameters and gut performance and reduced rumen methanogen levels without altering meat quality parameters. Proper diet formulation and further research on other ruminants may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.

Keywords: Beetal goat, growth performance, methane emissions, short-circuit current.

Resumen La lechosa, como fruta atractiva en ensaladas de frutas tropicales requiere un tratamiento especial para inactivar enzimas, eliminar los gases intercelulares, fijar y acentuar el color, reducir los microorganismos, desarrollar el sabor característico y favorecer la retención de vitaminas. En consecuencia, muestras de lechosa fueron seleccionadas con el objetivo de escaldarlas con vapor de agua durante 2, 4, 6 y 8 minutos, posterior almacenamiento a 8ºC y evaluación a los días 0, 7, 14, 21 y 28. Se estudiaron ...

O mamoeiro, Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) é uma espécie americana, cujos frutos são largamente consumidos em todo mundo. Devido às perdas de produção provocadas por viroses e a dificuldade em controlá-las por métodos convencionais, a espécie tem sido alvo de pesquisas de melhoramento genético envolvendo transgenia para resistência a vírus. O presente trabalho descreve a anatomia foliar de plantas de mamoeiro convencional e transgênico resistente ao vírus da mancha anelar-Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) com inserção da capa protéica viral. As duas cultivares apresentam pecíolo com endoderme e fibras pericíclicas. As folhas são hipoestomáticas e dorsiventrais, com laticíferos acompanhando os feixes vasculares e grande concentração de idioblastos com drusas de oxalato de cálcio. A epiderme é glabra, possuindo estômatos anomocíticos e anisocíticos, com células de paredes anticlinais retas na face adaxial e levemente sinuosas na face abaxial. O presente trabalho concluiu que o processo de t...

judía del 2002 se estudió semanalmente la actividad de vuelo de los áfidos que afectan a este cultivo en cuatro fincas de judía {Phaseolus vulgaris L., 1753) situadas en distintas zonas productoras de Asturias. Los áfidos alados fueron capturados mediante trampas de Moericke. Con los datos de captura se elaboraron las curvas de vuelo en las que se muestra que, de las especies consideradas plaga de la judía, la más abundante fue Aphis (A.)fabae Scopoli, 1763, seguida de Aphis (A.) craccivora Koch, 1854 y Aphis (A.) gossypii Glover, 1877. A partir de los datos meteorológicos de precipitación y temperatura, se establecieron las relaciones entre las capturas de áfidos alados y las condiciones ambientales.

The present investigation was conducted at Fruit Research Station, Imalia, Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, J.N.K.V.V., Jabalpur (M.P.). The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications and sixteen treatment combinations. It was carried out to investigate the effect of seed soaking duration (24 hours and 48 hours), growing media (with and without pseudomonas) and concentration of cow urine (0, 25%, 50% and 100%) and their combination on growth of Karonda. The result revealed that treatment T6 with seed soaking duration of 24 hours in 25% cow urine followed by sowing in growing media incorporated with pseudomonas @ 6 ml kg-1 soil was found superior with respect to various growth parameters such as seedling length (32.80 cm), length of roots (20.64 cm), seedling vigor index I and II (2764.62 cm & 136.93g), survival percentage (87.66%) over the other treatment combinations.

A ocorrência do fenômeno xênia, considerado como o resultado do cruzamento que se manifesta na primeira geração da planta mãe, há muito é conhecida. Entretanto, pouco é conhecido a respeito da contribuição do efeito do pólen no comportamento das sementes de mamão. Objetivou-se neste trabalho, avaliar a influência do pólen nas características físicas e fisiológicas das sementes de mamão. As sementes utilizadas foram provenientes de frutos dos grupos Solo e Formosa, oriundos de polinização manual, correspondente aos seguintes tratamentos: T1- Solo autofecundado; T2 - Formosa autofecundado; T3 - Solo x Formosa; T4 - Formosa x Solo; T5 - T3 autofecundado; T6 - T4 autofecundado. Foram realizadas as seguintes determinações e testes: número de sementes por fruto, tamanho da semente, peso de mil sementes, testes de germinação, primeira contagem, envelhecimento acelerado, comprimento da radícula, hipocótilo e teste de frio. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado c...

Papaya (Carica papaya L., Caricaceae) is a fruit crop of commercial significance in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The present investigation was carried out to assess physico-chemical characteristics of 10 genotypes of papaya under Bengaluru conditions. Results revealed that the varieties, Sunrise Solo, Waimanalo and the hybrids, H-39 and H-57 had medium-sized fruits. Fruit cavity index was low in the varieties Sunrise Solo, Pink Flesh Sweet and in hybrids H-39 and H-57. Further, Sunrise Solo recorded the highest plant height while the shortest plants were observed in Pusa Dwarf. Weight of the fruits was found to vary from 486.67g in Sunrise Solo, to 1380.33g in Pusa Dwarf. Pulp thickness, TSS and ascorbic acid were found to be maximum in hybrids H-39 and H-57. Lowest titratable acidity too was observed in the hybrids H-39 and H-57.

Objective : Dried Carica papaya (Caricaceae) leaves have been used in traditional medicine as a contraceptive. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety of the aqueous leaf extract of Carica papaya and study its effects on fertility in rats. Methods : The aqueous extract of Carica papaya was administered as single doses to Sprague Dawley rats in an acute study. Animals were observed over a 24 h period for various signs of toxicity. In a separate experiment, the extract was administered to different groups of rats daily for 14 d in a sub-acute study. Animals were observed each day and sacrificed on the 15 th day. Organs were then harvested for histopathology. Reproductive studies were also carried out in both male and female rats by administration of the extract at different doses. Markers for fertility were assessed in the rats by determination of fertility indices in the female and sperm analysis in the males. Hormonal assays were also performed. Results : In th...

Elevated atmospheric CO2 will change the requirements plants have for minerals, mainly nitrogen, altering the relationship between nutrient demand and plant growth. Here, we evaluated the interacting effects between two concentrations of CO 2 (390 or 750 L L −1) and two nitrogen (N) levels (3 mM or 8 mM) on gas exchange, N use efficiency (NUE), and dry mass responses of papaya seedlings. The study was conducted in a climate-controlled greenhouse using 3.5 L pots and six replicates for 62 days. No significant effects from N or CO 2 were noticed for leaf conductance to water vapor and transpiration. However, CO 2 elevation to 750 L L −1 increased assimilation rate for both N levels. Elevated CO 2 resulted in an increase of 52% and 16% of instantaneous water-use efficiency under high and low N, respectively, as compared to ambient CO 2 (390 L L −1). Lower N concentrations were observed for all the organs for plants grown under higher concentrations of CO 2 , regardless of the N level used. However, plants grown under elevated CO 2 reached the highest NUEs. There was an N × CO 2 interactive effect on the leaf, stem plus petiole, and root dry mass. However, no significant CO 2 effect on the root:shoot ratio was observed. Our results revealed that elevated CO 2 stimulated total dry mass accumulation of papaya plants, with the results being greatest for plants grown under lower levels of N.

The land of Dieng Plateau managed by the farmers in not sustainable way and now it's faced environmental problems, mainly erosion. This research aim to analyse the impact of potato farm that caused environmental degradation and the implementation of carica agroforestry in Dieng Plateau to reduce degradation. The method of this research is analysing qualitative and quantitative data from observation, interview, and literatures study. The result of this research proven that the rate of erosion can be reduced by the using of agroforestry, the erosion rate decrease from 463.86 tonnes/hectares/year to be 115.96 tonnes / hectares / year (estimation data by using USLE formula). The using of agroforestry had improved the people's welfare. Agroforestry brings more benefit than potatoes monoculture system. This project is very sustainable and will not make any compromising for the Dieng's future generation.

y fructosa en las características fisicoquímicas y aceptación sensorial del aguaymanto Physalis peruviana L. deshidratado osmoconvectivamente Effect of the concentration and temperature of sucrose and fructose syrups on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptance of osmoconvectively dehydrated cape gooseberry Physalis peruviana L.

O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a influência do estádio de maturação, temperatura e tempo de exposição na ocorrência de dano pelo frio (DF) em ciriguela. Para a avaliação do estádio de maturação menos suscetível a DF, foram colhidos frutos nos estádios breaker (B), início da pigmentação amarela (IP), amarelo predominante (AP) e expostos a temperaturas de 9,5 ºC, 10,5 ºC e 14,5 ºC, durante 1; 3 e 5 dias. Para a avaliação do desenvolvimento de DF em frutos no estádio AP, foram testadas 10 temperaturas, variando de 14,5 ºC a 5 ºC. Os frutos no estádio B apresentaram sintomas irreversíveis de DF a 14,5 ºC, após 3 dias, enquanto no estádio IP esses sintomas foram severos, após 5 dias. Para o estádio AP, nenhum sintoma de DF foi verificado entre 9,5 ºC e 14,5 ºC. O estádio AP apresentou índice leve de DF a 9,0 ºC, após 5 dias. A sensibilidade a baixas temperaturas e a ocorrência de DF em ciriguela foram dependentes do estádio de maturação. O estádio AP apresentou melhor adaptação a ba...

Papaya (Caria papaya L.) cv. Red lady is used as ripened fresh fruit as well as in the unripe state in many processed products. Therefore, for uses other than fresh fruit consumption, maintenance of fruit in the unripe state is extremely important for viable commercial applications. The application of 2% enhanced freshness formulation (EFF) with hexanal as the main active ingredient, has been shown to delay the onset of ripening in several subtropical fruits. This investigation was done to determine its effect on ripening and senescence in papaya fruits. Trials were conducted using 2% EFF applied as a pre-harvest spray and as a post-harvest dip alone or in combination with the pre-harvest spray. Pre-harvest treatments were applied at two week intervals beginning 30-days before expected harvest maturity. For post-harvest treatments, fruits were completely immersed in the dip solution for ten minutes and allowed to air dry at room temperature before storage. Fruits on trees sprayed pr...

Fruit growing faces several obstacles. Phytosanitary constraints are at
the top of the list. Papaya growing in the Niayes area is no exception to
the rule. This study aims to draw up an inventory of the phytosanitary
constraints affecting papaya and the products used for chemical control
of this crop in the Niayes area. Fifty (50) farms were visited, and a list
was drawn up of the pests encountered, namely insects, arachnids,
nematodes, diseases, and the active ingredients most commonly used.
The survey showed that mealybugs were the most common insect pests
and that red spider mites were the most common arachnid pests. Fungal
and viral diseases were predominant, with trunk/collar rot and papaya
ringspot virus. Thirty (30) active ingredients were listed for
phytosanitary treatments. A total of forty-seven (47) synthetic
pesticides were found. Of these, only fifteen (15) appeared on the list of
products approved by the Sahelian Pesticides Committee. Carbofuran,
which is a prohibited active ingredient, was used by 28% of the
growers we met. Mancozeb, Thiofanate methyl, and Zineb, which are
among the most widely used fungicides, have been banned in
Europe.To our knowledge, this is the first article to deal with the issue
in Senegal.

There are a several emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses that are prevalent around the world for which there are no licensed vaccines or antiviral drugs. Zika virus (ZIKV) is an example of an emerging virus that has become a significant concern worldwide because of its association with severe congenital malformations and neurological disorders in adults. Several polyphenol-rich extracts from plants were used as nutraceuticals which exhibit potent in vitro antiviral effects. Here, we demonstrated that the papaya pulp extracted from Carica papaya fruit inhibits the infection of ZIKV in human cells without loss of cell viability. At the non-cytotoxic concentrations, papaya pulp extract has the ability to reduce the virus progeny production in ZIKV-infected human cells by at least 4-log, regardless of viral strains tested. Time-of-drug-addition assays revealed that papaya pulp extract interfered with the attachment of viral particles to the host cells. With a view of preserving the prop...

El objetivo fue determinar los efectos de los factores para el establecimiento de microesquejes de papaya. Se incluyeron los efectos de los factores: 1. Protocolo de desinfección. 2. Variedad. 3. Edad de la planta donadora. 4. Número de yemas por microesquejes. 5. Los componentes hormonales en los medios de cultivo y 6. La temperatura de desarrollo de los microesquejes. Los resultados se analizaron estadísticamente mediante tablas de contingencia. También se encontró la correlación entre las variables. Los resultados indican que las mejores condiciones para el establecimiento de los microesquejes fueron: 1.Desinfección con hipoclorito al 1,5% durante 5 minutos. 2. La variedad de papaya Roja Melonera. 3. La edad optima de las plantas donadora fue a los 60 días. 4. Los mejor microesquejes eran los que poseía 2 yemas. 5. La relación hormonal optima fue ANA 0,1 mg/l y BAP 0,5 mg/l. 6. La temperatura de desarrollo óptima fue a 27° C. Se concluyó que todos los factores estudiados presenta...

Papaya wood was evaluated as a new biosorbent of heavy metals. On contacting 10 mg l −l copper(II), cadmium(II) and zinc(II) solutions with 5 g l −1 papaya wood, during shake flask contact time of 60 min, the respective metal removal was noted to be 97.8, 94.9 and 66.8%. Sorption was most efficient at pH 5. Metal ion biosorption increased as the ratio of metal solution to the biomass quantity decreased. Conversely, biosorption/g biosorbent decreased as the quantity of biomass increased. The increase in initial metal ion concentration was associated with steep increase in biosorption at lower concentrations, progressively reaching towards plateau at higher metal concentrations. At equilibrium, the affinity of papaya wood to biosorb metals was in the order of copper(II) > cadmium(II) > zinc(II), which remained the same during the testing of variables of different factors. The biosorption data perfectly fit the Langmuir adsorption isotherms model with 0.99 regression coefficient (r 2) for all the metals. The fit on Freundlich adsorption isotherms model was acceptable but not as good. The biosorption kinetics studies indicated that the data followed the second-order reaction with r 2 of 0.99. The first-order reaction was not applicable to the data. The metal-loaded papaya wood was completely desorbed with 0.1N HCl. During repeated biosorption-desorption for five cycles, no loss in the efficiency of copper(II) and cadmium(II) removal from their respective solutions and the metal-loaded biomass was noted. The study points to the potential of a novel use of papaya wood, itself a cause of environmental degradation and otherwise of no utility, for the treatment of wastewaters contaminated with heavy metals.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of latex of Carica papaya as feed additive and enzymes complex on performance growing rabbits. A control diet was formulated with an estimated proportion of 18% crude protein and 14% crude fibre. Another three diets were formulated supplementing control diet with 0.1, 0.5 or 0.7% papaya latex. One hundred weaned New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits aged 35 days with an average initial weight of 570±8.30 g (mean±std. error) were used in the present work (25/diet). Daily weight gain and daily feed intake were recorded from weaning up to 91 d of age (fattening period). At this time seven rabbits from each group were slaughtered and immediately lymphoid organs were taken and weighted. Also, blood samples were collected of seven rabbits from each group. Besides, at the end of the experimental period cell mediated immunity was recorded. In the whole fattening period, final body weight at 91 d and feed efficiency values of growing NZW increased linearly by 296.3±49.5 g (P = 0.001) and 0.052±0.007 g/g (P = 0.001), respectively per each increment of 1 unit of papaya latex inclusion. Daily weight gain during the whole fattening period from 35-91 d increased linearly and quadratically (P < 0.031) as dietary concentrations of papaya latex increased obtaining the highest values by using up to 0.16 papaya latex. Spleen and thymus indexes increased linearly by 0.023±0.006 (P = 0.002) and 0.161±0.025 (P = 0.001), respectively per each increment of 1 unit of papaya latex inclusion. The values of WBCs; lymphocytes and total protein increased linearly by 0.95±0.324 (P = 0.007); 8.83±2.03 (P = 0.002) and 2.11±0.338 (P = 0.001), respectively per each increment of 1 unit of papaya latex inclusion. Cell mediated immunity increased linearly and quadratically (P < 0.002) as papaya latex inclusion, being optimized for 0.54% papaya latex inclusion. In conclusion, the addition of 0.7% latex of Carica papaya to the growing NZW rabbit diets, improved growth and immunity capabilities during summer heat stress.

The impact of Fleurya aestuans hydroethanolic leaf extract and tetrahydroxyflavone against lead acetate-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats was studied in this study. 55 Wistar rats weighing 110-170g were split into two phases. Group 1 (Control) got only ad libitum food and drink. Fleurya aestuans extract was given to groups 2,3,4 (50,75, and 200mg/kg). In phase two, Group A served as the control, Group B received only LA (2.25mg/kg), Groups C, D, and E were co-treated with LA (2.25mg/kg) and extract (50, 75, and 200mg/kg), Group F received LA and tetrahydroxyflavone (100mg/kg), and Group G received only tetrahydroxyflavone (100mg/kg). The rats were anesthetized with chloroform and sacrificed by cutting through the jugular vein. Blood samples were taken into heparinized vials for renal function test. Histological analysis of the kidneys was performed after they were extracted and processed. In comparison to the control group, the results showed that lead acetate significantly increased (p<0.05) renal function parameters. In any case, the extract reduced the high renal parameters and had a beneficial effect on the Wistar rat's kidney histology. It is recommended that more research be done to determine the mechanism of action of Fleurya aestuans on the kidney.

† Background and Aims Bisexual flowers of Carica papaya range from highly regular flowers to morphs with various fusions of stamens to the ovary. Arabidopsis thaliana sup1 mutants have carpels replaced by chimeric carpel-stamen structures. Comparative analysis of stamen to carpel conversions in the two different plant systems was used to understand the stage and origin of carpeloidy when derived from stamen tissues, and consequently to understand how carpeloidy contributes to innovations in flower evolution. † Methods Floral development of bisexual flowers of Carica was studied by scanning electron microscopy and was compared with teratological sup mutants of A. thaliana. † Key Results In Carica development of bisexual flowers was similar to wild (unisexual) forms up to locule initiation. Feminization ranges from fusion of stamen tissue to the gynoecium to complete carpeloidy of antepetalous stamens. In A. thaliana, partial stamen feminization occurs exclusively at the flower apex, with normal stamens forming at the periphery. Such transformations take place relatively late in development, indicating strong developmental plasticity of most stamen tissues. These results are compared with evo-devo theories on flower bisexuality, as derived from unisexual ancestors. The Arabidopsis data highlight possible early evolutionary events in the acquisition of bisexuality by a patchy transformation of stamen parts into female parts linked to a flower axis-position effect. The Carica results highlight tissue-fusion mechanisms in angiosperms leading to carpeloidy once bisexual flowers have evolved. † Conclusions We show two different developmental routes leading to stamen to carpel conversions by late re-specification. The process may be a fundamental aspect of flower development that is hidden in most instances by developmental homeostasis.

Most organisms have internal circadian clocks that mediate responses to daily environmental changes in order to synchronize biological functions to the correct times of the day. Previous studies have focused on plants found in temperate and subtropical climates, and little is known about the circadian transcriptional networks of plants that typically grow under conditions with relatively constant day lengths and temperatures over the year. In this study we conducted a genomic and computational analysis of the circadian biology of Carica papaya, a tropical tree. We found that predicted papaya circadian clock genes cycle with the same phase as Arabidopsis genes. The patterns of time-of-day overrepresentation of circadian-associated promoter elements were nearly identical across papaya, Arabidopsis, rice, and poplar. Evolution of promoter structure predicts the observed morning-and evening-specific expression profiles of the papaya PRR5 paralogs. The strong conservation of previously identified circadian transcriptional networks in papaya, despite its tropical habitat and distinct lifestyle , suggest that circadian timing has played a major role in the evolution of plant genomes, consistent with the selective pressure of anticipating daily environmental changes. Further studies could exploit this conservation to elucidate general design principles that will facilitate engineering plant growth pathways for specific environments.