Effect of Carica papaya seed extracts on lymphocyte proliferation

Abstract

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of hot and cold extracts of Carica papaya seeds (that contain benzyl isothiocyanate as one of its chief bioactive compound) on lymphocyte proliferation.  Lymphocytes were cultured at the concentration:  500, 1000, 2000 and 3000µg/ml (PPM) for 24 and 48h.  results indicated that the extracts showed no adverse toxic effect to the lymphocytes at all, the dose regimes according to the trypan blue permeability assay and visual inspection using the optimal microscope.  However, there was a statistically significant increase in the number of cells treated with 1000µg and 2000µg/ml of the hot extract and 2000µg and 3000µg/ml of the cold extract in the 24hr. regime