Polyphenols from Passiflora ligularis Regulate Inflammatory Markers and Weight Gain

Potential Hypoglycemic and Antilipidemic Activity of Polyphenols from Passiflora ligularis (Granadilla)

The consumption of fruits or by-products from plants of the Passifloraceae family has been associated with multiple health and nutritional benefits, due to their phenolic compound content. Likewise, the effects of polyphenols from Camellia sinensis (green tea) have been explored and are considered a reference for different biological actions of these bioactive substances. This study compared the hypoglycemic and antilipemic activity of polyphenol-rich extracts of Passiflora ligularis Juss (passion fruit) and Camellia sinensis (green tea) given to a group of Wistar rats induced to be overweight. The individuals were subjected to three doses of supplementation of both sources of polyphenols in the drinking water. An additional group without polyphenol supplementation served as a control group. Water consumption, weight gain, glycemia, cholesterol, serum triglycerides and percentage of fecal ethereal extracts were analyzed. Although Passiflora ligularis Juss had five times less polyphenol content than Camellia sinensis, rats fed doses of 2.5 and 3.0 g/L Passiflora ligularis Juss showed reduced glycemia by 16%, suggesting an antiglycemic activity similar to that of Camellia sinensis. On the other hand, higher doses of polyphenols from Passiflora ligularis Juss and Camellia sinensis significantly reduced triglyceride levels (p = 0.05) by more than 17% compared to the unsupplemented control group. The polyphenol-rich extracts produced effective inhibitory activity of lipemic metabolites with a reduction in the percentage of fecal lipids (p < 0.05), with no side effects on liver tissue. The 3.0 g/L dose produced the best result on signs of metabolic syndrome associated with excess weight. Polyphenols extracted from fresh Colombian passion fruit showed the potential to decrease metabolic syndrome risk factors in a murine model.

A review on the gastrointestinal protective effects of tropical fruit polyphenols

Tropical fruits are popular because of their unique, delicious flavors and good nutritional value. Polyphenols are considered to be the main bioactive ingredients in tropical fruits, and these exert a series of beneficial effects on the human gastrointestinal tract that can enhance intestinal health and prevent intestinal diseases. Moreover, they are distinct from the polyphenols in fruits grown in other geographical zones. Thus, the comprehensive effects of polyphenols in tropical fruits on gut health warrant in-depth review. This article reviews, first, the biological characteristics of several representative tropical fruits, including mango, avocado, noni, cashew apple, passion fruit and lychee; second, the types and content of the main polyphenols in these tropical fruits; third, the effects of each of these fruit polyphenols on gastrointestinal health; and, fourth, the protective mechanism of polyphenols. Polyphenols and their metabolites play a crucial role in the regulation of the gut microbiota, increasing intestinal barrier function, reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory factors and regulating immune function. Thus, review highlights the value of tropical fruits, highlighting their significance for future research on their applications as functional foods that are oriented to gastrointestinal protection.

Brazilian passion fruit as a new healthy food: from its composition to health properties and mechanisms of action

The Brazilian biodiversity is one of the largest in the world, with about 41 000 species cataloged within two global biodiversity hotspots: Atlantic Forest and Cerrado, the Brazilian savannah. Passiflora, known also as passion flowers, is a genus of which 96% of its species are distributed in the Americas, mainly Brazil and Colombia. Passion fruit extracts have a commercial value on a global scale through the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, self-care, and food and beverage industries. Passiflora are widely studied due to their potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, antidepressant and vascular and neuronal protective effects, probably owing to their content of polyphenols. Passiflora setacea DC is a species of wild passion fruit from the Brazilian Cerrado, rich in flavonoid C-glycosides, homoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin and orientin. Intake of these plant food bioactives has been associated with protection against chronic non-communicable diseases (CNDCs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we aimed to discuss the varieties of Passiflora, their content in plant food bioactives and their potential molecular mechanisms of action in preventing or reversing CNDCs.