New Zealand-grown papaya is being studied to find out if an extract from its leaves could be an effective treatment for dengue fever. Young said papaya had long been used in traditional herbal remedies in tropical areas for illnesses associated with the mosquito related virus, plus general age related illnesses. But the genesis was a request from his Singapore-based daughter who was concerned about the risks to her children from the dengue virus. The next step will be human trials to test the efficacy of the extract on the dengue virus, and the protocols have been written in conjunction with Otago University. Young said the potential return per hectare of papaya grown for its extracts could be three times greater than kiwifruit.

Source: Stuff January 05, 2021 07:16 UTC