Pawpaw

This study was carried out to assess the microbiological quality of ready-to-eat papaya fruit from selected locations in Benin City. Standard bacteriological techniques using selective/differential media were employed for the isolation, purification and putative identification of selected bacterial isolates present in vended papaya fruits. The susceptibility and resistance of these bacterial isolates to common antibiotics was accessed. The public health implication of the identified isolates were also evaluated using their multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index.

The in vitro effect of 10, 30 and 50% (w/v) concentrations of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of pawpaw (Carica papaya L.) leaf on the radial growth of Fusarium verticilliodes was studied using the pour plate method. The diameters of radial growth of the mycelia of F. verticilliodes were measured at 24 hours intervals for five days. Both extracts retarded the radial growth of F. verticilliodes compared to that of the control, with the ethanolic extract having a greater fungistatic effect at the concentrations tested in this study.