Passionfruit Genomic Database (PGD): a comprehensive resource for passionfruit genomics.

Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) is a significant fruit crop in the commercial sector, owing to its high nutritional and medicinal value. The advent of high-throughput genomics sequencing technology has led to the publication of a vast amount of passionfruit omics data, encompassing complete genome sequences and transcriptome data under diverse stress conditions. To facilitate the efficient integration, storage, and analysis of these large-scale datasets, and to enable researchers to effectively utilize these omics data, we developed the first passionfruit genome database (PGD). The PGD platform comprises a diverse range of functional modules, including a genome browser, search function, heatmap, gene expression patterns, various tools, sequence alignment, and batch download, thereby providing a user-friendly interface. Additionally, supplementary practical tools have been developed for the PGD, such as gene family analysis tools, gene ontology (GO) terms, a pathway enrichment analysis, and other data analysis and mining tools, which enhance the data's utilization value. By leveraging the database's robust scalability, the intention is to continue to collect and integrate passionfruit omics data in the PGD, providing comprehensive and in-depth support for passionfruit research. The PGD is freely accessible via http://passionfruit.com.cn .

In vitro regeneration of triploid from mature endosperm culture of Passiflora edulis "Mantianxing".

The regeneration of shoots from endosperm tissue is a highly effective method to obtain triploid plants. In this study, we elucidated the establishment of an in vitro regeneration system from endosperm culture for the production of Passiflora edulis "Mantianxing." The highest callus induction rate (83.33%) was obtained on the media supplemented with 1.0 mg/L TDZ. Meanwhile, the MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L 6-BA and 0.4 mg/L IBA gave the optimum 75% shoot bud induction. Chromosome analysis revealed that the chromosomal count of P. edulis "Mantianxing" regenerated from endosperm tissues was 27 (2n = 3x = 27), which indicated that shoots regenerated from endosperm tissues were triploids. Triploid P. edulis had more drought resistance than diploid plants. Our study provided a method for breeding of passion fruit by means of a stable and reproducible regeneration system from endosperm culture, leading to the generation of triploid plants.

A Scoping Review on Carotenoid Profiling in Passiflora spp.: A Vast Avenue for Expanding the Knowledge on the Species.

The Passiflora genus is recognised for its ethnopharmacological, sensorial, and nutritional significance. Yet, the screening of its dietary and bioactive molecules has mainly targeted hydrophilic metabolites. Following the PRISMA-P protocol, this review assessed the current knowledge on carotenoid composition and analysis within Passiflora, examining 968 records from seven databases and including 17 studies focusing on carotenoid separation and identification in plant parts. Those publications originated in America and Asia. P. edulis was the most frequently examined species of a total of ten, while pulp was the most studied plant part (16 studies). Carotenoid analysis involved primarily high-performance liquid chromatography separation on C18 columns and detection using diode array detectors (64.71%). Most studies identified the provitamin A ß-carotene and xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin, with their geometric configuration often neglected. Only one study described carotenoid esters. Besides the methodology's insufficient description, the lack of use of more accurate techniques and practices led to a high risk of bias in the carotenoid assignment in 17.65% of the articles. This review highlights the opportunity to broaden carotenoid studies to other species and parts within the diverse Passiflora genus, especially to wild, locally available fruits, which may have a strategic role in enhancing food diversity and security amidst climatic changes. Additionally, it urges the use of more accurate and efficient analytical methods based on green chemistry to better identify Passiflora carotenoids.

Novel 4-Chromanone-Derived Compounds as Plant Immunity Inducers against CMV Disease in Passiflora spp. (Passion Fruit).

This study involved the design and synthesis of a series of novel 4-chromanone-derived compounds. Their in vivo anti-cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) activity in field trials against CMV disease in Passiflora spp. was then assessed. Bioassay results demonstrated that compounds 7c and 7g exhibited remarkable curative effects and protection against CMV, with inhibition rates of 57.69% and 51.73% and 56.13% and 52.39%, respectively, surpassing those of dufulin and comparable to ningnanmycin. Field trials results indicated that compound 7c displayed significant efficacy against CMV disease in Passiflora spp. (passion fruit) after the third spraying at a concentration of 200 mg/L, with a relative control efficiency of 47.49%, surpassing that of dufulin and comparable to ningnanmycin. Meanwhile, nutritional quality test results revealed that compound 7c effectively enhanced the disease resistance of Passiflora spp., as evidenced by significant increases in soluble protein, soluble sugar, total phenol, and chlorophyll contents in Passiflora spp. leaves as well as improved the flavor and taste of Passiflora spp. fruits, as demonstrated by notable increases in soluble protein, soluble sugar, soluble solid, and vitamin C contents in Passiflora spp. fruits. Additionally, a transcriptome analysis revealed that compound 7c primarily targeted the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway, a crucial plant hormone signal transduction pathway, thereby augmenting resistance against CMV disease in Passiflora spp. Therefore, this study demonstrates the potential application of these novel 4-chromanone-derived compounds as effective inducers of plant immunity for controlling CMV disease in Passiflora spp. in the coming decades.

Generation of Attenuated Mutants of East Asian Passiflora Virus for Disease Management by Cross Protection.

East Asian passiflora virus (EAPV) seriously affects passionfruit production in Taiwan and Vietnam. In this study, an infectious clone of the EAPV Taiwan strain (EAPV-TW) was constructed, and EAPV-TWnss, with an nss tag attached to its helper component-protease (HC-Pro), was generated for monitoring the virus. Four conserved motifs of EAPV-TW HC-Pro were manipulated to create single mutations of F8I (simplified as I8), R181I (I181), F206L (L206), and E397N (N397) and double mutations of I8I181, I8L206, I8N397, I181L206, I181N397, and L206N397. Four mutants, EAPV I8I181, I8N397, I181L206, and I181N397, infected Nicotiana benthamiana and yellow passionfruit plants without conspicuous symptoms. Mutants EAPV I181N397 and I8N397 were stable after six passages in yellow passionfruit plants and expressed a zigzag pattern of accumulation dynamic, typical of beneficial protective viruses. An agroinfiltration assay indicated that the RNA silencing suppression capabilities of the four double mutated HC-Pros are significantly reduced. Mutant EAPV I181N397 accumulated the highest level of the small interfering RNA at 10 days postinoculation (dpi) in N. benthamiana plants, then dropped to background levels after 15 dpi. In both N. benthamiana and yellow passionfruit plants, EAPV I181N397 conferred complete cross protection (100%) against severe EAPV-TWnss, as defined by no severe symptoms and absence of the challenge virus, checked by Western blotting and reverse transcription PCR. Mutant EAPV I8N397 provided high degrees of complete protection against EAPV-TWnss in yellow passionfruit plants (90%) but not in N. benthamiana plants (0%). Both mutants showed complete protection (100%) against the Vietnam severe strain EAPV-GL1 in passionfruit plants. Thus, the mutants EAPV I181N397 and I8N397 have excellent potential for controlling EAPV in Taiwan and Vietnam. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Occurrence of passion fruit woodiness disease in the coastal lowlands of Kenya and screening of passion fruit genotypes for resistance to passion fruit woodiness disease.

BACKGROUND: Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis [Sims]) is an important economic fruit crop in Kenya, grown for domestic, regional and international markets. However, passion fruit production is constrained by both biotic and abiotic stresses. Passion fruit woodiness disease (PWD) complex is the most injurious viral disease responsible for yield losses of up to 100%. In East Africa, it is caused by potyviruses. The most effective way to manage PWD is by using resistant cultivars. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of passion fruit woodiness disease in selected counties at the Coastal lowlands of Kenya and screen farmer preferred passion fruit genotypes for resistance to PWD. RESULTS: In the present study, it was established that all surveyed farms in Kwale and Kilifi counties displayed passion fruit woodiness virus disease symptoms. The highest disease incidence of 59.16% and 51.43% was observed at Kilifi and Kwale counties, respectively. A significant difference (p < 0.05) in symptom severity was observed within the tested genotypes with purple and banana passion fruits having the highest and lowest AUDPC values, respectively, both under greenhouse and field conditions. ACP ELISA assays using universal potyvirus antiserum (Agdia Inc., Elkhat, IN) confirmed that the observed characteristic symptoms of woodiness disease were as a result of potyvirus infection. CONCLUSIONS: The findings herein indicate that PWD is widespread in both Kilifi and Kwale counties with low to moderate disease incidence and severity. The observed prevalence, incidence and severity levels of PWD in Kwale and Kilifi counties could be aggravated by poor management practices such as non-sterilization of pruning tools, intercropping with target crops and crop rotation with the same target crops. Response of passion fruit genotypes to woodiness viruses was genotype dependent. There is need to sensitize farmers on the cause and spread of PWD and management strategies in order to increase production and enhance the quality of fruits.

On the adequacy of fruit removal as a proxy for fitness in studies of bird-mediated phenotypic selection.

PREMISE: In fleshy-fruited plants, fruit removal is widely used as a proxy for plant reproductive success. Nevertheless, this proxy may not accurately reflect the number of seeds dispersed, an assumed better proxy for total fitness (fruit removal × mean number of seeds dispersed per fruit). METHODS: We examined under what circumstances fruit removal can be reliable as a proxy for total fitness when assessing bird-mediated selection on fruit traits. In three populations of the Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea), we used the number of fruits pecked per plant as a surrogate for fruit removal to estimate phenotypic selection on fruit and seed traits, and simulations of the effect of the fruit-seed number trade-off on the number of fruits removed. RESULTS: Fruit removal was a good indicator of fitness, accounting for 55 to 68% of the variability in total fitness, measured as total number of seeds removed. Moreover, multivariate selection analyses on fruit crop size, mean fruit diameter and mean seed number using fruit removal as a fitness proxy yielded similar selection regimes to those using total fitness. Simulations showed that producing more fruits, a lower number of seeds per fruit, and a higher variability in seed number can result in a negative relationship between fruit removal and total fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that fruit removal can be reliably used as a proxy for total fitness when (1) there is a weak fruit number-seed number trade-off, (2) fruit crop size and fruit removal correlate positively, and (3) seed number variability does not largely exceed fruit number variability.

Full-sib progenies show greater genetic diversity than half-sib progenies in sour passion fruit: an approach by ssr markers.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variability is the most important parameter in plant breeding based on selection. There is a need for morpho-agronomic and molecular characterization of Passiflora species, to exploit their genetic resources more efficiently. No study has yet been carried out to compare half-sib and full-sib families in relation to the magnitude of the genetic variability obtained in them, and then to elucidate the advantages or disadvantages of each one. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, SSR markers were used to evaluate the genetic structure and diversity of half-sib and full-sib progenies of sour passion fruit. Two full-sib progenies (PSA and PSB), and a half-sib progeny (PHS), together with their parents, were genotyped with a set of eight pairs of SSR markers. Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) and Structure software were used to study the genetic structure of the progenies. The results indicate that the half-sib progeny has lower genetic variability, although it has higher allele richness. By the AMOVA most of the genetic variability was found within the progenies. Three groups were clearly observed in the DAPC analysis, while two hypothetical groups (k = 2) were observed in the Bayesian approach. The PSB progeny showed a high genetic mixture between the PSA and PHS progenies. CONCLUSION: Lower genetic variability is found in half-sib progenies. The results obtained here allow us to suppose that the selection within full-sib progenies will possibly provide better estimates of genetic variance in sour passion fruit breeding programs, since they provide greater genetic diversity.

Biotechnology of Passiflora edulis: role of Agrobacterium and endophytic microbes.

Two forms of the genus Passiflora, belonging to the Passifloraceae family, are commonly called yellow and purple passion. These perennial woody climbers are found in the cooler regions at higher altitudes and in lowlands of tropical areas. The presence of alkaloids, terpenes, stilbenes, flavonoids, glycosides, carotenoids, etc. in different parts of the plant provides several pharmacological properties. Because of the various uses in foods and pharmaceuticals, in vitro propagation of this genus has been performed hugely and is of great interest to researchers. From different explants via direct organogenesis under controlled aseptic conditions, callus, root, shoot, and somatic embryos are induced successfully. Different PGRs are augmented in the media for the rapid multiplication or organogenesis, especially, the high ratio of cytokinin and auxin in the basal media efficiently regenerates the shoot and root respectively. The in vitro regenerated plantlets are then acclimatized and hardened properly before transferring to the field conditions. Thus, the present first of its kind review on P. edulis exclusively encompasses the wide applications of biotechnology for this species alongside its organogenesis, embryogenesis, cytology, and endophytic microbes with special emphasis on the role of genetic transformation studies mediated by Agrobacterium sp. KEY POINTS: • Critical assessment on in vitro biotechnology in P. edulis. • Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in P. edulis. • Role of endophytic microbes in P. edulis.

Generation of Attenuated Passiflora Mottle Virus Through Modification of the Helper Component Protease for Cross Protection.

Passiflora mottle virus (PaMoV), an aphid-borne potyvirus, is the primary causal virus of devastating passionfruit woodiness disease in Vietnam. Here we generated a nonpathogenic, attenuated PaMoV strain for disease control by cross protection. A full-length genomic cDNA of PaMoV strain DN4 from Vietnam was constructed to generate an infectious clone. The green fluorescent protein was tagged at the N-terminal region of the coat protein gene to monitor in planta the severe PaMoV-DN4. Two amino acids within the conserved motifs of helper component protease (HC-Pro) of PaMoV-DN4 were mutated individually or in combination as K53E or/and R181I. Mutants PaMoV-E53 and PaMoV-I181 induced local lesions in Chenopodium quinoa plants, while PaMoV-E53I181 caused infection without apparent symptoms. In passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) plants, PaMoV-E53 elicited severe leaf mosaic and PaMoV-I181 induced leaf mottling, while PaMoV-E53I181 caused transient mottling followed by symptomless recovery. PaMoV-E53I181 was stable after six serial passages in yellow passionfruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) plants. Its temporal accumulation levels were lower than those of the wild type, with a zigzag accumulation pattern, typical of a beneficial protective virus. An RNA silencing suppression (RSS) assay revealed that all three mutated HC-Pros are defective in RSS. Triplicated cross-protection experiments with a total of 45 plants showed that the attenuated mutant PaMoV-E53I181 provided a high protection rate (91%) against the homologous wild-type virus in passionfruit plants. This work revealed that PaMoV-E53I181 can be used as a protective virus to control PaMoV by cross protection.

Hypolipidemic potential and safety profile of the ethanolic extract and flour of the peel of Passiflora Cincinnata Mast. (Passifloraceae) in mice.

Passiflora cincinnata Mast. is described as a native Caatinga species, used by nutritional and medicinal purposes, although there are still few studies and pharmacological data related to this species. This paper aims to evaluate the safety profile and hypolipidemic potential of the fruit peel of this species in mice. It was analyzed the chemical composition of ethanolic extract (EtOH-Pc) by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, and the organic and inorganic composition of flour (MF-Pc). Also were evaluated the acute toxicity, the lipid-lowering potential of these samples, through of a pretreatment (oral: 100 and 200 mg/kg), and a single treatment with the same doses, after hyperlipidemic induction with triton WR-1339, using as animal model Swiss Mus musculus mice, besides histopathological analysis. The presence of flavonoids in the extract was confirmed, mainly C-glycosides, and antioxidant minerals and pectin, in flour. No clinical signs of toxicity or death were reported in the study. In the hyperlipidemia study model used, the analyzed substances, at all doses, notably decreased the lipid levels of TC, TG, LDL-c and VLDL-c and increase the HDL-c levels in the induced hyperlipidemic mice (p < 0.05). The results of the histopathological analysis showed that in the group only induced was identified the discrete presence of hepatic steatosis, in 2 animals at the analysis of 24 h, not being visualized in the groups treated with the substances evaluated. The results obtained in the present study suggest a hypolipidemic potential of the extract and flour, obtained from the fruit peel of Passiflora cincinnata Mast.

Anti-Alzheimer's Activity of Polyphenolic Stilbene-Rich Acetone Fraction of the Oil-Removed Seeds of Passiflora edulis: in Vivo and in Silico Studies.

The stilbene-rich acetone fraction in high yield (6.6 %, PEAS) of Passiflora edulis Sims was prepared and evaluated for neuroprotective activity in murine Alzheimer's disease model induced by aluminum chloride and D-galactose. The phytochemical and HPLC-DAD-MS analysis of the polyphenolic stilbene-rich acetone fraction showed that it contained different stilbenes including trans-piceatannol, scirpusins A-B and cassigarol E. The total phenolic content (TPC) of PEAS was 413.87±1.71 mg GAE eqv/g. The neuroprotective activity of PEAS is typically presented in the Morris water maze-reference Spatial Memory test, where the Alzheimer's mice treated at 100 mg/kg (Alz-ED1) and 200 mg/kg (Alz-ED2) spent less than 47 % and 66 % of the time, respectively, than the Alzheimer's model mice (Alz). Two simple stilbenes, trans-piceatannol and trans-resveratrol, showed selectively inhibitory activity in silico against acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Two stilbene dimers, cassigarol E and scirpusin A, exhibited low nanomolar inhibitory potential against AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), significantly lower than those of the positive control, donepezil and tacrine. These findings suggest that the stilbenes from P. edulis seeds, particularly the stilbene dimers, warrant further investigation as potential neuroprotective candidates in the prevention of cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease.

First Report of Passiflora Latent Virus Infecting Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) in South Korea.

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) viral diseases caused by papaya leaf curl Guangdong virus, cucumber mosaic virus, East Asian Passiflora virus, and euphorbia leaf curl virus have been reported in South Korea (Joa et al. 2018; Kim et al. 2018). In June 2021, virus-like symptoms, e.g., mosaic pattern, curling, chlorosis, and deformation, were observed on leaves and fruits of greenhouse-grown P. edulis in Iksan, South Korea, with disease incidence greater than 2% (300 plants: 8 symptomatic plants and 292 asymptomatic plants). Total RNA was extracted from a pooled sample of symptomatic leaves of an individual P. edulis plant using the RNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Germany), and a transcriptome library was generated using the TruSeq Stranded Total RNA LT Sample Prep Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA). Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) was performed using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system (Macrogen Inc., Korea). De novo assembly of the resulting 121,154,740 reads was performed using Trinity (Grabherr et al. 2011). A total of 70,895 contigs was assembled (>200 bp) and annotated against the NCBI viral genome database using BLASTn (ver. 2.12.0). One 827-nt contig was annotated as milk vetch dwarf virus (MVDV), a member of the genus Nanovirus in the family Nanoviridae (Bangladesh isolate, acc. no. LC094159, 96.0% nucleotide identity), and the other 3,639-nt contig corresponded to Passiflora latent virus (PLV), a member of the genus Carlavirus in the family Betaflexiviridae (Israel isolate, acc. no. DQ455582, 90.0% nucleotide identity). For further confirmation, total RNA was isolated from symptomatic leaves of the same P. edulis used for NGS analysis using a viral gene spin DNA/RNA extraction kit (iNtRON Biotechnology, Seongnam, Korea), and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed using specific primers: PLV-F/R (5'-GTGCCCACCGAACATGTTACCTC-3'/5'-CCATGCACTTGGAATGCTTACCC-3') targeting the coat protein region of PLV, MVDV-M-F/R (5'-CTAGTCAGCCATCCAATGGTG-3'/5'-GTGCAGGGTTTGATTGTCTGC-3') targeting the movement protein region, and MVDV-S-F/R (5'-GGATTTTAATACGCGTGGACGATC-3'/5'-AACGGCTATAAGTCACTCCGTAC-3') targeting the coat protein region of MVDV. An expected PCR product of 518 bp corresponding to PLV was amplified, while MVDV was not detected. The amplicon was directly sequenced, and its nucleotide sequence was deposited in GenBank (acc. no. OK274270). A BLASTn analysis showed that the nucleotide sequence of the PCR product shared 93.0% and 96.2% identity with PLV isolates from Israel (MH379331) and Germany (MT723990), respectively. In addition, six passion fruit leaves and two fruit samples with PLV-like symptoms were collected from a total of eight plants grown in the greenhouse in Iksan for RT-PCR analysis, and six samples tested positive for PLV. However, PLV was not detected in one leaf and one fruit among all samples. Mechanical sap inoculation was conducted using extracts of systemic leaves as inoculum on P. edulis and the indicator plants Chenopodium quinoa, Nicotiana benthamiana, N. glutinosa, and N. tabacum. In P. edulis, vein chlorosis and yellowing on systemic leaves were observed 20 days post inoculation (dpi). Necrotic local lesions were observed on inoculated leaves of N. benthamiana and N. glutinosa 15 dpi, and PLV infection was confirmed by RT-PCR assay in symptomatic leaf tissue. This study aimed to determine whether commercially grown passion fruit in the southern part of South Korea could be infected with and potentially spread PLV. Whereas PLV was asymptomatic in persimmon (Diospyros kaki) in South Korea, no pathogenicity testing in passion fruit was reported (Cho et al. 2021). Here, we have shown the natural infection of passion fruit with PLV in South Korea for the first time and associated infection with obvious symptoms. This suggests a need to evaluate potential losses in passion fruit and the selection of healthy propagation material.

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.

Polyphenol Profiling by LC QTOF/ESI-MS and Biological Activity of Purple Passion Fruit Epicarp Extract.

A polyphenolic preparation in the form of the passion fruit epicarp extract was analyzed to identify and quantify the polyphenolic compounds using LC QTOF/ESI-MS and UPLC-PDA-FL. The analyzed parameters included antidiabetic activity (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase), inhibitory activity toward cholinesterase (AChE, BuChE), anti-inflammatory activity (COX-1, COX-2, 15-LOX) and antioxidant activity based on ORAC and ABTS. The polyphenolic preparation of the passion fruit epicarp extract contained 51 polyphenolic compounds representing five groups-flavones (25 compounds; 52% of total polyphenolic), flavonols (8; 16%), flavan-3-ols (6; 7%), phenolic acids (4; 3%), and anthocyanins (7; 21%), with derivatives of luteolin (13 derivatives) and apigenin (8 derivatives) as dominant compounds. The preparation was characterized by an antioxidant activity of 160.7 (ORAC) and 1004.4 mmol Trolox/100 mL (ABTS+o). The inhibitory activity toward α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase reached IC50 of 7.99, 12.80, and 0.42, respectively. The inhibition of cholinesterases (IC50) was 18.29 for AChE and 14.22 for BuChE. Anti-inflammatory activity as IC50 was 6.0 for COX-1, 0.9 for COX-2, and 4.9 for 15-LOX. Food enriched with passion fruit epicarp extract has a potentially therapeutic effect.

Physicochemical and functional properties of new sports drink with ricotta cheese whey and a brazilian passion fruit variety.

The present study investigated the bioaccessibility of minerals, bioactive compounds, and sensory acceptance of isotonic beverages formulated with Ricotta cheese whey (RCW) and passion fruit cv. BRS Sertão Forte. Three formulations were developed: I1 with 50% RCW and 5% passion fruit pulp, I2 with 50% RCW and 8.5% pulp, and I3 with 30% RCW and 12% pulp. I3 showed higher ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity, exhibited the highest scores in the consumer test, and maintained its physicochemical stability and microbiological safety during the storage at 7 °C for 56 days. (-)-Epicatechin gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, and cis-resveratrol were the main phenolic compounds quantified in the isotonic beverages. I1 and I3 exhibited high bioaccessibility of the minerals K, Na, and Mg (37-70%) compared to I2, which showed bioaccessibility between 31 and 40%. The beverages developed are innovative alternatives for the market of supplements for athletes, combining the use of a dairy industry by-product and a new variety of passion fruit to date little-explored economically. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05636-5.

Aqueous extract of Passiflora alata leaves modulates in vitro the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and CD86 expression in bone marrow-derived professional antigen-presenting cells polarizing NOD mice T cells to a Treg profile.

Dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages are professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs), numerous in the pancreas of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and playing an essential role in the autoimmune response of type 1 diabetes. The expression of the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a critical factor for the tolerogenic activity of pAPCs, acting in the catabolism of tryptophan, providing metabolites that suppress the T cell effectors and induce T regulatory cells differentiation. Here we investigated the in vitro mechanisms of lyophilized aqueous extract from Passiflora alata leaves (LAEPAL) that modulates bone marrow-derived professional antigen-presenting cells (BM-pAPCs), affecting their ability to polarize T cells. A cell culture model was defined using mixed cultures of BM-pAPCs and T lymphocytes NOD mice with stressed MIN-6 cells as a source of pancreatic ß cells antigens. We showed that the treatment with 300 µg/mL of LAEPAL induces a significant decrease in the CD4 and CD8 T effector lymphocytes proliferation from diabetic but not in non-diabetic mice, followed by a reduction of the IL-6 and IFN-γ cytokines release in the cell cultures supernatants. Moreover, we observed an increase of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Tregs in the cell cultures from diabetic mice. These results could be partially explained by the LAEPAL modulatory effects in BM-pAPCs, downregulating the CD86 co-stimulatory molecule expression, and increasing IDO-1 expression in F4/80+ BM-pAPCs. These results contribute to a better understanding of the polyphenols' immunomodulatory properties, meaning they could induce tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells, which could polarize T cells to a Treg profile and decrease the activity of CD4+ and CD8+ T effector cells.

Biomechanics of tendrils and adhesive pads of the climbing passion flower Passiflora discophora.

The climbing passion flower Passiflora discophora features branched tendrils with multiple adhesive pads at their tips allowing it to attach to large-diameter supports and to flat surfaces. We conducted tensile tests to quantify the performance of this attachment system. We found that the force at failure varies with substrate, ontogenetic state (turgescent or senescent), and tendril size (i.e. tendril cross-sectional area and pad area). The tendrils proved to be well balanced in size and to attach firmly to a variety of substrates (force at failure up to 2N). Pull-off tests performed with tendrils grown on either epoxy, plywood, or beech bark revealed that senescent tendrils could still bear 24, 64, or 100% of the force measured for turgescent tendrils, respectively, thus providing long-lasting attachment at minimal physiological costs. The tendril main axis was typically the weakest part of the adhesive system, whereas the pad-substrate interface never failed. This suggests that the plants use the slight oversizing of adhesive pads as a strategy to cope with 'unpredictable' substrates. The pads, together with the spring-like main axis, which can, as shown, dissipate a large amount of energy when straightened, thus constitute a fail-safe attachment system.

Stable reference gene selection for quantitative real-time PCR normalization in passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims.).

BACKGROUND: Passiflora edulis is a tropical fruit with high nutrient and medicinal values that is widely planted in southern China. However, the molecular biology of P. edulis has not been well studied. There are few reports regarding the choice of reference genes for gene expression studies of passion fruit. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using three algorithms, implemented in geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper, we have selected ten candidate reference genes to explore their transcriptional expression stability in various tissues and under cold stress conditions. EF1 and HIS were stably expressed in five tissues. Ts and OTU were stably in vegetative organs. 50 S and Liom were stably in reproductive organs. The transcriptional abundance of EF1 and UBQ was stable in cold-treated and recovery treated leaf samples of P. edulis. In all samples, EF1 and Ts exhibited the highest expression stability. Evaluation of selected genes using simple statistical methods (ANOVA and post hoc analysis). Overall, EF1 emerged as the optimum reference gene for qRT-PCR normalize in P. edulis. In addition, the qRT-PCR analysis revealed that expression of ICE1 increases with the duration of cold treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we successfully screened stable reference genes from 10 candidates in P. edulis and verified the results by analyzing the expression level of ICE1. The results provide reliable and effective reference genes for future research on gene expression analysis in P. edulis, and lay a foundation for follow-up research on functional genes in P. edulis.

Characterizing the Interaction between Root-knot Nematodes and Soil-borne Fungi which are Pathogenic to Passion Fruit (Passiflora Edulis).

For decades there have been anecdotal claims of synergistic interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-borne fungi causing decline of productivity of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) orchards. An empirical confirmation of these disease complexes would impact disease management and plant breeding for resistance. To test those claims, we subjected passion fruit plants to single or concomitant parasitism by Meloidogyne javanica or M. incognita and Fusarium nirenbergiae or Neocosmospora sp. under controlled conditions. Non-inoculated plants served as control for the assays. The severity of shoot symptoms and variables related to plant growth, the extent of fungal lesions, and nematode reproduction were assessed to characterize the interactions. The shoot symptoms and effect on plant growth induced by the pathogens varied, but no synergy between the pathogens was observed. Moreover, the volume of tissue lesioned by the fungi was not affected by co-parasitism of the nematodes. Conversely, plant resistance to the nematodes was not affected by co-parasitism of the fungi. The interactions M. incognita-F. nirenbergiae, M. incognita-Neocosmospora sp., M. javanica-F. nirenbergiae, and M. javanica-Neocosmospora sp. were not synergistic as previously claimed, but instead neutral.