PARIS - The French researcher who co-discovered the AIDS virus has
prescribed a treatment made from papaya extract to ease
Pope John Paul's symptoms of Parkinson's disease. A news report said
Dr. Luc Montagnier told Le Monde newspaper that he met with the pope
in
mid-June 2002 to talk about AIDS in the developing world and try to
convince the Vatican to rethink its stance against condom use.

The doctor also used the meeting to propose an alternative treatment
for the 82-year-old pope, whose symptoms include a hand tremor and
slurred
speech.Montagnier believes that oxidative stress - created when cells
convert oxygen into energy - contributes to certain medical
conditions,
including neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's.

"My convictions are shared by a number of biologists," Le Monde
quoted Montagnier as saying. To fight the effects of oxidative
stress, Montagnier prescribed an extract from fermented Asian papayas
that contains antioxidants and stimulates the immune system, Le Monde
said.

He also recommended a similar substance that is produced by a New
York company that wasn't named in the Le Monde article.

Vatican officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment on
the report. The Vatican has never confirmed the pope suffers from
Parkinson's disease.

A spokesman at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of
Maryland, Baltimore, where Montagnier has been named a professor, did
not return a call seeking comment on Sunday.

Montagnier was director of a Paris laboratory that identified the
virus that causes AIDS in 1983. In the United States, Dr. Robert
Gallo helped
to develop a blood test for the disease. The AIDS researchers, once
rivals, now work together to raise money for research and trials of
AIDS
vaccines

Gallo had been scheduled to see the pope along with Montagnier, Le
Monde reported, but the U.S. doctor was unable to attend because he
was having knee surgery.

PAPAYA

Papaya, Papaw or Paw Paw (Australia), Mamao (Brazil), Tree Melon.

Origin: The papaya is believed to be native to southern Mexico and
neighboring Central America. It is now present in every tropical and
subtropical country.

Adaptation: Papayas have exacting climate requirements for vigorous
growth and fruit production. They must have warmth throughout the
year and will be damaged by light frosts. Brief exposure to 32° F is
damaging and prolonged cold without overhead sprinkling will kill the
plants. Cold, wet soil is almost always lethal. Cool temperatures
will also alter fruit flavor. Papayas make excellent container and
greenhouse specimens where soil moisture and temperature can be
moderated.

The papaya is a short-lived, fast-growing, woody, large herb to 10 or
12 feet in height. It generally branches only when injured. All parts
contain latex. The hollow green or deep purple trunk is straight and
cylindrical with prominent leaf scars. Its diameter may be from 2 or
3 inches to over a foot at the base. The leaves emerge directly from
the upper part of the stem in a spiral on nearly horizontal petioles
1 to 3-1/2 feet long. The blade, deeply divided into 5 to 9 main
segments, varies from 1 to 2 feet in width, and has prominent
yellowish ribs and veins. The life of a leaf is 4 to 6 months. The
five-petalled flowers are fleshy, waxy and slightly fragrant. Some
plants bear only short-stalked female flowers, or bisexual (perfect)
flowers also on short stalks, while others may bear only male
flowers, clustered on panicles 5 or 6 feet long. Some plants may have
both male and female flowers. Others at certain seasons produce short-
stalked male flowers, at other times perfect flowers. This change of
sex may occur temporarily during high temperatures in midsummer. Male
or bisexual plants may change completely to female plants after being
beheaded. Certain varieties have a propensity for producing certain
types of flowers. For example, the Solo variety has flowers of both
sexes 66% of the time, so two out of three plants will produce fruit,
even if planted singly. How pollination takes place in papayas is not
known with certainty. Wind is probably the main agent, as the pollen
is light and abundant, but thrips and moths may assist. Hand
pollination is sometimes necessary to get a proper fruit set.

Fruit: There are two types of papayas, Hawaiian and Mexican. The
Hawaiian varieties are the papayas commonly found in supermarkets.
These pear-shaped fruit generally weigh about 1 pound and have yellow
skin when ripe. The flesh is bright orange or pinkish, depending on
variety, with small black seeds clustered in the center. Hawaiian
papayas are easier to harvest because the plants seldom grow taller
than 8 feet. Mexican papayas are much larger the the Hawaiian types
and may weigh up to 10 pounds and be more than 15 inches long. The
flesh may be yellow, orange or pink. The flavor is less intense than
that the Hawaiian papaya but still is delicious and extremely
enjoyable. They are slightly easier to grow than Hawaiian papayas. A
properly ripened papaya is juicy, sweetish and somewhat like a
cantaloupe in flavor, although musky in some types. The fruit (and
leaves) contain papain which helps digestion and is used to tenderize
meat. The edible seeds have a spicy flavor somewhat reminiscent of
black pepper.

Papayas like to be warm with both sunshine and reflected heat, so the
hottest place against the house where nothing else seems happy is an
ideal location. They also like to be as free from wind as possible,
although this is not as critical as their need for sun. Papayas can
be grown successfully in shade, but the fruit is rarely sweet. They
are best planted in mounds or against the foundation of a building
where water can be controlled.

Papayas need a light, well-drained soil. They are easily killed by
excess moisture. The soil needs to be moist in hot weather and dry in
cold weather. Since this is the opposite of California's rain
pattern, in addition to good drainage, plastic coverings to prevent
over-wetting in winter may also be worthwhile. Papayas do not
tolerate salty water or soil.

Watering is the most critical aspect in raising papayas. The plants
should be kept on to the dry side to avoid root rot, but also need
enough water to support their large leaves. In winter the plant
prefers to remain as dry as possible. A plant that has been injured
by frost is particularly susceptible to root rot.

The fast-growing papaya requires regular applications of nitrogen
fertilizers but the exact rates have not been established. Feed
monthly and adjust according to the plant's response. They can take
fairly hot organic fertilizing such as chicken manure if used with
deep irrigation after warm weather has started. Phosphorus deficiency
casuses dark green foliage with a reddish-purple discoloration of
leaf veins and stalks.

Papayas do not need to be pruned, but some growers pinch the
seedlings or cut back established plants to encourage multiple
trunks.

Papayas are normally propagated by seed. To start a plant, extract
the seeds from ripe papayas and wash them to remove the gelatinous
covering. They are then dried, dusted with a fungicide and planted as
soon as possible (the seeds loose their viability rapidly in
storage). Plant the seeds in warm (80° F), sterile potting mix. Seeds
should be planted in sterile soil as young papaya seedlings have a
high mortality rate from damping off. Potting soil can be sterilized
by mixing 50-50 with vermiculite and placing in an oven at 200° F for
one hour. Under ideal conditions the seeds may germinate in about two
weeks, but may take three to five weeks. Gibberellic acid can be used
to speed up germination in some seasons. Seedlings usually begin
flowering 9 - 12 months after they germinate.

Seedling papayas do not transplant well. Plant them in large
containers so the seedlings will have to be transplanted only once,
when they go into the ground. Transplant carefully, making sure not
to damage the root ball. To prevent damping off, drench the potting
mix with a fungicide containing benomyl or captan. Set the plants a
little high to allow for settling. A plastic mulch will help keep the
soil warm and dry in wet winter areas, but remove it as soon as the
weather becomes warm. Plant at least three or four plants to insure
yourself of having females or plant hermaphroditic plants.

Papaya plants can also be grown from cuttings, which should be
hardened off for a few days and then propped up with the tip touching
moist, fertile soil until roots form. Semihardwood cuttings planted
during the summer root rapidly and should fruit the following year.

Thrips, mites and white flies as well as In red spider and fruit
spotting bugs are potential problems in some areas. The plants may
also be attacked by mildew, anthracnose, root rot and various virus
diseases Fruit flies often ruin the fruit in Florida and Hawaii.
Nematodes can attack the roots and are often a factor in the decline
of individual plant. Gopher damage can be avoided by planting in wire
baskets. Papaya plants should probably be replaced every 4 years or
so.

Papayas are ready to harvest when most of the skin is yellow-green.
After several days of ripening at room temperature, they will be
almost fully yellow and slightly soft to the touch. Dark green fruit
will not ripen properly off the tree, even though it may turn yellow
on the outside. Mature fruit can be stored at 45° F for about 3
weeks. Papayas are often sliced and eaten by themselves or served
with a myriad of other foods. They can also be cooked to make chutney
or various desserts. Green papayas should not be eaten raw because of
the latex they contain, although they are frequently boiled and eaten
as a vegetable. In the West Indies, young leaves are cooked and eaten
like spinach. In India, seeds are sometimes used as an adulterant in
whole black pepper.

Kamiya: selection from Waimanalo. Solo type. Small to medium-sized
fruit. Distinct, blocky shape, very short neck. Deep yellow-orange
skin and flesh, firm, juicy, very sweet. Dwarf, high-yielding plant.
Fairly recent release from the University of Hawaii.

Mexican Red
A rose-fleshed papaya that is lighter in flavor than Mexican Yellow.
Medium to very large fruit. Generally not as sweet as Hawaiian types

Mexican Yellow
A very sweet and flavorful, yellow-fleshed papaya. Medium to large
fruit, can grow up to 10 pounds. Generally not as sweet as Hawaiian
types.

Solo
Fruit round and shallowly furrowed in female plants, pear-shaped in
bisexual plants. Weight 1.1 to 2.2 pounds. Skin smooth, flesh firm,
reddish-orange, very sweet, of excellent quality. Produces no male
plants, only bisexual and female in a 2 to 1 ratio. Introduced into
Hawaii from Barbados in 1911. Named Solo in 1919.

Sunrise (Sunrise Solo)
Pear-shaped fruit with a slight neck. Averages 22 to 26 ounces
depending on location. Skin smooth, flesh firm, reddish-orange,
sweet, sugar content high. Quality similar to Solo. Seed cavity not
as deeply indented as other Solo strains, making seed removal easier.
Plant precocious, maturing fruit about 9 months after transplanting,
at a height of about 3 feet.

Sunset (Sunset Solo)
Solo type. Small to medium-sized, pear-shaped fruit. Orange-red skin
and flesh. Very sweet. Dwarf, high yielding plant. Originated at the
University of Hawaii.

Vista Solo
Medium to large fruit depending on climate, 5 inches wide, up to 18
inches long. Skin yellow, flesh orange to yellow-orange. Hardy,
compact Solo type producing high quality fruit. Needs fairly hot
weather to develop sweetness. Self-fertile. Originated in Vista,
Calif. by Ralph Corwin.

Waimanalo (Waimanalo Solo, X-77)
Fruit round with a short neck, average weight 16 to 39 ounces. Skin
smooth, and glossy, cavity star-shaped. Flesh thick, firm, orange-
yellow in color, flavor and quality high, keeps well. Recommended for
fresh market and processing. Fruits of female plants rough in
appearance. Average height to the first flower is 32 inches.