Background: Studies indicate that different parts of Carica papaya Linn have nutritional properties that mean it can be used as an adjuvant for the treatment of various pathologies.
Methods: The fatty acid composition of the oil extracted from the seeds of Carica papaya Linn was evaluated by gas chromatography, and an acute toxicity test was performed. For the experiment, Swiss mice were fed a balanced or high-fat diet and supplemented with saline, soybean oil, olive oil, or papaya seed oil. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity tests were performed. After euthanasia, adiposity, glycemia, total cholesterol and fractions, insulin, resistin, leptin, MCP-1, TNF-α, and IL-6 and the histology of the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue were evaluated.
Results: Papaya seed oil showed predominance of monounsaturated fatty acids in its composition. No changes were observed in the acute toxicity test. Had lower food intake in grams, and caloric intake and in the area of adipocytes without minimizing weight gain or adiposity and impacting the liver or pancreas. Reductions in total and non-HDL-c, LDL-c, and VLDL-c were also observed. The treatment had a hypoglycemic and protective effect on insulin resistance. Supplementation also resulted in higher leptin and lower insulin and cytokine resistance.
Conclusions: Under these experimental conditions, papaya seed oil led to higher amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids and had hypocholesterolemic, hypotriglyceridemic, and hypoglycemic effects.
Keywords: Brazilian fruit; dyslipidemia; oil.