Uses of Pawpaw

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Of course, the main use of pawpaw historically has been one of food and nutrition. As mentioned on the Introduction to Pawpaw page, this use is unfortunately limited somewhat due to its tendency to spoil quickly after it is picked.

Due to research, mainly by Dr. Jerry McLaughlin at Purdue University, pawpaw was used in a role as a natural pesticide. (Go to our article page to read more on this topic.) One natural supplement company actually marketed it in a specialized lice remover shampoo. Although the product was considered to be very successful in its application, it was only sold through its field distribution via direct marketing--not through retail outlets. This was responsible for low sales, and thus the company eventually stopped production. However, if the application of lice removal shampoo is of interest to you, we have obtained the formula for the shampoo and can make it available to you as long as it is for personal use only and not commercial gain. Use our contact form for this request.

The use of the pawpaw extract, however, did not stop there. In 2003, the same supplement company (who has the license of the standardized pawpaw extract) started using it in an anti-parasite package that included the use of other herbs. Simultaneously, although the company did not market the product as such (due to FDA regulations), it was used by individuals and some physicians to fight cancer because of information made available in technical and scholastic publications concerning the research of Dr. Jerry McLaughlin.

Although not much has been written on this use, it was recently noted that Dr. McLaughlin was looking at pawpaw as an ingredient as a salve to fight herpes. Some anecdotal success was reported. We have also been able to obtain the general formula for this combination, which we will be glad to release for individual use only through our contact form.