Papaya, also known as pawpaw and papaw, is a small tree native to
southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. The plant
is also an important export crop grown in many other tropical regions,
including the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Australia and Tanzania. In the US, C. papaya is cultivated in the states
of Florida and Hawaii.
The fruit and leaf of this plant are abundant in papain, a protease
enzyme break down proteins. Owing to this activity, papaya leaf is taken
before meals as a dietary supplement to enhance digestion.
