Antimicrobial Evaluation of Carica papaya Leaf Extract for Dermal Infections: Experimental and Computational Insights

^{1, 1*} Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, U.P., India
² Faculty of Health, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
³ Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

¹ Corresponding Author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Bacterial and fungal skin infections are commonly managed using antibiotic or antifungal therapy; however, the increasing concern over antimicrobial resistance has stimulated interest in plant-derived alternatives. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of Carica papaya leaf extract through integrated in vitro and in silico approaches.

Active-site molecular docking, skin-permeation prediction, and toxicological assessment were used to examine selected phytoconstituents and their possible interactions with microbial targets. The optimised ethanolic leaf extract, enriched in secondary metabolites, showed measurable activity against Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus licheniformis, Rhizopus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, and Trichoderma spp. Docking analysis identified favourable receptor-ligand interactions, while toxicity prediction indicated relatively low toxicity for several evaluated compounds, particularly ascorbic acid and papain. Collectively, the findings support the potential of C. papaya leaf extract as a promising source of bioactive constituents for topical antimicrobial applications.