Functional dyspepsia – Medicinal plants for treatment (III)
Papaya (Carica papaya L.)
The drug consists of the latex obtained from the fruits and owes its digestive action of its content of proteolytic enzymes such as papain or chymopapain A and B, among others. It also contains simple sugars and oligosaccharides, vitamins and glucosinolates.
In addition to improving digestion by the action of their enzymes, have healing effect, anthelmintic and analgesic. It also recently have studies that show its immunostimulant activity.
Although the papaya has no indication approved by the Commission E of the German Ministry of Health is frequently use it in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, gastritis and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Folk medicine also used to treat intestinal worm infections.Moreover, chymopapain (and papain) has been used in the treatment of sciatica and herniated lumbar disc by a technique called quimonucleolisis. This enzyme is injected directly into the intradiscal space, and that hydrolyses proteoglycans that accumulate in the intervertebral discs and are the cause of pain.
Most commonly used drug powder, capsule, although papain is also part of various proprietary products.
In the recommended therapeutic doses, is a safe drug, but should not be used during pregnancy because of possible induction of spontaneous abortions or the appearance of teratogenic.
Functional dyspepsia can take years and, unfortunately, for now there is no truly effective treatment for all cases
Source: http://www.dfarmacia.com/farma/ctl_servlet?_f=37&id=13112895
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