Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Biology and Biotechnology

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a popular and economically important fruit tree of tropical and subtropical countries. The fruit is consumed world-wide as fresh fruit and as a vegetable or used as processed products. This review focuses primarily on two aspects. Firstly, on advances in in vitro methods of propagation, including tissue culture and micropropagation, and secondly on how these advances have facilitated improvements in papaya genetic transformation. An account of the dietary and nutritional composition of papaya, how these vary with culture methods, and secondary metabolites, both beneficial and harmful, and those having medicinal applications, are dis-cussed. An overview of papaya post-harvest is provided, while ‘synseed ’ technology and cryopreservation are also covered. This is the first comprehensive review on papaya that attempts to integrate so many aspects of this economically and culturally important fruit tre