RIPE PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA) REDUCES UTERINE LENGTH AND WEIGHT IN MICE (MUS MUSCULUS L)

Unripe or green papaya is one of the foods that should be avoided during pregnancy due to its potential to cause fetal abnormalities and/or miscarriage. Papaya contains papain, polysaccharides, alkaloids, saponins, and flavonoids, which are suspected to interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, disrupting GnRH secretion and subsequently affecting follicular formation, development, and maturation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ripe papaya (Carica papaya) fruit juice administration on uterine characteristics in mice (Mus musculus). A total of 12 adult female mice were randomly divided into four groups and administered ripe papaya juice orally (gavage) at doses of 0% (control), 20%, 40%, and 80% for ten consecutive days. Following treatment, the mice were sacrificed for uterine collection. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Duncans post hoc test. The results indicated that the administration of ripe papaya juice significantly reduced both left and right uterine lengths and lean wet weights at all doses. The reduction in uterine length on both sides suggests that active compounds in papaya, such as the enzyme papain, may influence cellular proliferation processes within uterine tissue.