COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS, BIOACTIVE PROPERTIES AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA L.) SEED AT TWO STAGES OF RIPENING

Abstract

The use of papaya including the parts usually discarded during processing, is an alternative to reduce the quantity of agro-industrial wastes. Due to their abundance of bioactive secondary metabolites, seeds have recently been the subject of further research using them as potential sources of medicines. The study reprsents comparison of quantitative estimates of nutritional component and evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial qualities of raw and mature Carica papaya seeds.It has highlighted that mature seed contains highest levels of total polyphenol(5.14±0.009mg GAE/100 gm), total flavonoid(30.65±0.101mg QE/100gm), Vitamin A ( 8.06±0.03 mg/100g), protein (27.33±0.03%), fat (28.13±0.04%), fibre (20.92±0.03), potassium (23.56±0.01 mg/dl), iron ( 146.11± 0.02µg/dl) and phosphorus ( 7.22 ± 0.04). On the other hand raw seed contains highest level of carbohydrate (24.18±0.13%), moisture (8.84±0.03%), ash (10.17±0.01%), vitamin C (5.01±0.01 mg/100g), calcium (15.45± 0.07 mg/dl), zinc (9.03±0.03 mg/dl). The free radical scavenging activity was highest shown by mature seeds extract at 6.64±0.002 %; however, in vitro antimicrobial activity, mature seed showed highest zone of inhibition compared to raw seed. The results of the current investigation showed that both raw and mature seed had excellent nutritional characteristics. Consequently, papaya seed can be used in the preparation of foods for human consumption as well as for industrial purposes. The general conclusion recognized that the wasted seeds may be more cost-effectively utilized to treat oxidative stress-related illnesses and as a viable therapeutic food source.