Essential oil composition of passiflora foetida L. (passifloraceae) flowers and chemical-biology study of the leaves extracts and isolated compound.

Passiflora foetida is a climbing herb employed in ethno-medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The essential oil from flowers of P. foetida was obtained by hydrodistillation. The ethanol extract of the leaves was dissolved in water, then partitioned with n-hexane and n-butanol to obtain the various fractions; the fractions and isolated compound were subjected to in vitro antioxidant activity. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry afforded the identification of forty-two constituents in the floral oil, dominated by ß-caryophyllene (17.2%), cedrol (11.5%), and α-humulene (11.5%). The n-butanol fraction was the most active (70% inhibition and absorbance 0.401; 100 µg/mL) in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and ferric reducing power assays, respectively. Chromatographic analysis facilitated the isolation of 8-C-ß-d-glucosylapigenin (vitexin) from the butanol fraction of P. foetida. Vitexin demonstrated good antioxidant activities (75% inhibition and absorbance 0.424; 100 µg/mL) compared with ascorbic acid. The volatile metabolites of P. foetida flowers are reported for the first time.

Multi-integrated genomic data for Passiflora foetida provides insights into genome size evolution and floral development in Passiflora.

Passiflora is a plant genus known for its extremely distinctive and colorful flowers and a wide range of genome size variation. However, how genome characteristics are related to flower traits among Passiflora species remains poorly understood. Here, we assembled a chromosome-scale genome of P. foetida, which belongs to the same subgenus as the commercial passionfruit P. edulis. The genome of P. foetida is smaller (424.16 Mb) and contains fewer copies of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). The disparity in LTR-RTs is one of the main contributors to the differences in genome sizes between these two species and possibly in floral traits. Additionally, we observed variation in insertion times and copy numbers of LTR-RTs across different transposable element (TE) lineages. Then, by integrating transcriptomic data from 33 samples (eight floral organs and flower buds at three developmental stages) with phylogenomic and metabolomic data, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the expression, phylogeny, and copy number of MIKC-type MADS-box genes and identified essential biosynthetic genes responsible for flower color and scent from glandular bracts and other floral organs. Our study pinpoints LRT-RTs as an important player in genome size variation in Passiflora species and provides insights into future genetic improvement.

Research on Passiflora foetida L. as a Pharmaceutical Treatment for Neurasthenia in Humans.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> This plant is known in many parts of the world and is used as medicine in some countries. In Vietnam, people know how to use <i>Passiflora foetida </i>L.,<i> </i>as an herb. There are many research works in the world, most of them focus on medicinal properties. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of samples of <i>Passiflora foetida </i>L., yellow fruit based on agronomic traits and the gene region of "<i>rbcL</i>". <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Seed samples were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. The trial was a sample of <i>Passiflora foetida </i>L., species. The distance between sample plant is 3×2 m, so the total number of trees is 1,330 trees ha¹. The genetic relationship between them was determined through the construction of a phylogenetic tree in the "<i>rbcL</i>" gene region sequence. Data analysis and processing methods done by using X software. <b>Results:</b> The PCR results that amplify the "<i>rbcL</i>" gene region around 670 bp, the PCR products were then sequenced. The sequence results were compared with the sequences on the NCBI gene bank, showing that the sequences of the nine varieties/species all coincided with the <i>Passiflora foetida </i>Sims species sequences with a high similarity coefficient from 98.77 to 99.9%. Genetically shows that all nine species samples belong to <i>Passiflora foetida</i> which can be classified into three genetic samples of An Giang (LA1), Ca Mau (LA2) and Can Tho (LA3) which are genetically close to each other, have the same index. <b>Conclusion:</b> The heritability in the broad sense is high in the two traits of stem height and leaf length, so it can be considered that these two traits are controlled by genes. The cultivation of algae seeds to improve the productivity of these medicinal plant varieties is important in providing raw materials for the oriental medicine industry.

Anti-Inflammatory and Gut Microbiota Modulation Potentials of Flavonoids Extracted from Passiflora foetida Fruits.

This study aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory and gut microbiota modulation potentials of flavonoid-rich fraction (PFF) extracted from Passiflora foetida fruits. The results showed that PFF markedly reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Meanwhile, PFF treatment also effectively decreased the phosphorylation levels of MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB signaling-pathway-related proteins (ERK, JNK, p38, Akt, and p65). Moreover, PFF had an impact on microbial composition and metabolites in a four-stage dynamic simulator of human gut microbiota (BFBL gut model). Specifically, PFF exhibited the growth-promoting ability of several beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and Roseburia, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) generation ability in gut microbiota. In addition, spectroscopic data revealed that PFF mainly contained five flavonoid compounds, which may be bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and gut microbiota modulation potentials. Therefore, PFF could be utilized as a natural anti-inflammatory agent or supplement to health products.

Structural Features of Three Hetero-Galacturonans from Passiflora foetida Fruits and Their in Vitro Immunomodulatory Effects.

Passiflora foetida is a horticultural plant and vital traditional Chinese herbal medicine. In our previous study, the characterization and immuno-enhancing effect of fruits polysaccharide 1 (PFP1), a water-eluted hetero-mannan from wild Passiflora foetida fruits, were investigated. Herein, another three salt-eluted novel polysaccharides, namely PFP2, PFP3, and PFP4, were obtained and structurally characterized. The results showed that PFP2, PFP3, and PFP4 were three structurally similar hetero-galacturonans with different molecular weights of 6.11 × 104, 4.37 × 104, and 3.48 × 105 g/mol, respectively. All three of these hetero-galacturonans are mainly composed of galacturonic acid, galactose, arabinose (75.69%, 80.39%, and 74.30%, respectively), and other monosaccharides including mannose, fucose, glucose, ribose, xylose, and glucuronic acid (24.31%, 19.61, and 25.70%, respectively), although differences in their backbone structure exist. Additionally, immunomodulatory assay indicated that the three hetero-galacturonans possess the ability to promote the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in RAW264.7 macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Especially, PFP3 displayed a stronger enhancing effect than PFP2 and PFP4 at the minimum effective concentration. Therefore, the results suggested that the obtained three salt-eluted hetero-galacturonans, especially PFP3, could be utilized as immunomodulatory effectivity ingredients in nutritional/pharmaceutical industries.

Development and validation of a high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method for the quantitative analysis of vitexin in Passiflora foetida herbal formulations.

The aim of this study is the development of validated HPTLC method for the quantification of vitexin from Passiflora foetida commercial herbal formulations. The developed method was validated, in accordance with ICH guidelines for precision, accuracy, specificity and robustness. The plate was developed using ethyl acetate:methanol:water:formic acid 30:4:2:1(%, v/v/v/v) on 20 × 10 cm glass coated silica gel 60 F254 plates and the developed plate was scanned and quantified densitometrically at λ = 340 nm. Linear regression analysis revealed a good linear relationship between peak area and amount of vitexin in the range of 100-700 ng/spot. The amount of vitexin in nine commercial herbal formulations was successfully quantified by the developed HPTLC method. The developed and validated high performance thin layer chromatographic method offers a new sensitive and reliable tool for quantification of vitexinin in various herbal formulations containing Passiflora foetida.

Structure characterization of a novel polysaccharide from Chinese wild fruits (Passiflora foetida) and its immune-enhancing activity.

A novel polysaccharide (PFP1) with an average molecular weight of 2.02 × 105 g/mol was isolated from Passiflora foetida fruits through hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation and column chromatography. The structure of PFP1 was determined by GPC-MALS-RI, IC, FT-IR, GC-MS and NMR. The structural analysis showed that PFP1 was a heteropolysaccharide and composed of mannose (48.83%), galactose (32.46%), glucose (6.21%), arabinose (5.88%), fructose (2.24%), galacturonic acid (2.20%), xylose (1.17%), fucose (0.17%), ribose (0.05%), and glucuronic acid (0.78%), with a backbone structure of →1)-α-D-Manp→1,2)-ß-D-Manp-linked 1,2,6)-ß-D-Manp residues and side chains consisted of →1)-ß-D-Galp, →1,4)-α-D-Manp, →1, 4)-ß-D-Glcp, →1,3)-α-D-Galp, →1,6)-ß-D-Manp, →1,6)-ß-D-Galp, →1,2,3)-ß-D-Manp and →1,3,6)-ß-D-Galp residues. The results of immune-enhancing assays revealed that PFP1 could obviously promote the production of NO and secretion of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) of macrophage RAW264.7. These findings demonstrate that P. foetida fruit polysaccharides can be utilized as a potential immune-enhancing functional food.

Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of the Fruits of a Chinese Wild Passiflora foetida.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the main nutrients and their antioxidant properties of a Chinese wild edible fruit, Passiflora foetida, collected from the ecoregion of Hainan province, China. The analytical results revealed that P. foetida fruits were rich in amino acids (1097 mg/100 g in total), minerals (595.75 mg/100 g in total), and unsaturated fatty acids (74.18 g/100 g in total fat). The lyophilized powder of edible portion contained the higher polyphenols content than the inedible portion powder. The UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE analysis of the extractable and non-extractable phenolics indicated the presence of 65 compounds including 39 free phenolics, 14 insoluble-glycoside-phenolics, and 22 insoluble-ester-phenolics. In addition, the non-extractable phenolics obtained by alkali hydrolysis showed significant antioxidant activities by/through DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging. These findings of P. foetida fruits, for the first time, suggest that these polyphenol-rich fruits may have potential nutraceutical efficacies.

Space matters: meristem expansion triggers corona formation in Passiflora.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Flower meristems differ from vegetative meristems in various aspects. One characteristic is the capacity for ongoing meristem expansion providing space for new structures. Here, corona formation in four species of Passiflora is investigated to understand the spatio-temporal conditions of its formation and to clarify homology of the corona elements. METHODS: One bird-pollinated species with a single-rowed tubular corona (Passiflora tulae) and three insect-pollinated species with three (P. standleyi Killip), four (P. foetida L. 'Sanctae Martae') and six (P. foetida L. var. hispida) ray-shaped corona rows are chosen as representative examples for the study. Flower development is documented by scanning electron microscopy. Meristem expansion is reconstructed by morphometric data and correlated with the sequential corona element formation. KEY RESULTS: In all species, corona formation starts late in ontogeny after all floral organs have been initiated. It is closely correlated with meristem expansion. The rows appear with increasing space in centripetal or convergent sequence. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the concept of fractionation, space induces primordia formation which is a self-regulating process filling the space completely. Correspondingly, the corona is interpreted as a structure of its own, originating from the receptacle. Considering the principle capacity of flower meristems to generate novel structures widens the view and allows new interpretations in combination with molecular, phylogenetic and morphogenetic data.

In vitro regeneration of shoots and ex vitro rooting of an important medicinal plant Passiflora foetida L. through nodal segment cultures.

Methods were developed in the present investigation for cloning and large scale plant production of Passiflora foetida L. germplasm selected from the East-Coast region of South India. Nodal shoot segments were used as explants. The explants were dressed and surface sterilized with 0.1% (w/v) HgCl2. Multiple shoots were induced (6.13 ± 0.22 shoots per explant) by proliferation of nodal shoot meristems on Murashige and Skoog (MS) semi-solid medium + 2.0 mg l-1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The shoots of P. foetida were further multiplied (16.45 ± 0.44 shoots per explant) on MS medium + 0.5 mg l-1 each of BAP and Kinetin (Kin). The in vitro generated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 2.5 mg l-1 indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). By this method 67% shoots were rooted. About 97% shoots were rooted ex vitro (8.33 ± 0.29 roots per shoot) when the cut ends of the shoots were treated with 300 mg l-1 IBA for 5 min. The in vitro rooted plants were hardened and acclimatized in the greenhouse and successfully (100%) transplanted to the field.

Efficient genomic DNA extraction protocol from medicinal rich Passiflora foetida containing high level of polysaccharide and polyphenol.

In Present work, the main objective is to develop less time consuming protocol for genomic DNA isolation from leaves of Passiflora foetida. Optimized protocol is cost effective, as it avoided use of expensive liquid nitrogen. The important parameters of CTAB buffer composition such as Polyvinylpyrrolidone PVP40000 (without PVP, 1%, 2%, 3.5%, 4.0%, 4.5%, 5.0%), CTAB (w, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%), water bath temperature (30°C to 70°C) and duration on water bath for half hr and one and half hr has been optimized. CTAB (2%), PVP (1%), water bath temperature (70%), duration on water bath (1 hr) has efficiently yielded DNA quality of 200-1782 µg/0.5gm from leaf, stem, root, tendril and flower. However, 168 µg - 1782 µg of DNA has been obtained from 0.5 g of leaf of Passiflora foetida. Polyphenol contamination has been overcome using 5M NaCl and PVP. Acetate has been used for obtaining double-stranded DNA in stabilized form. Current DNA extraction protocol takes maximum of four hours for completion, which is many time savings. RAPD-PCR reaction parameters such as DNA concentration (100ng), Primer concentration (2 µM), Dream Taq polymerase (2 U), annealing temperature (29°C) and number of cycles for amplification of DNA has been optimized. Primer fragment Akansha 7 shows high polymorphism of 7 fragments ranges from 200bp - 2500 bp. Current optimized protocol of DNA isolation is specifically for Passiflora foetida, which can be used for downstream molecular techniques.

Radium concentration factors in passionfruit (Passiflora foetida) from the Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory, Australia.

In this study, uptake of Ra from soil into the edible fruit of the wild passionfruit species Passiflora foetida was investigated, using selective extraction from the soil samples. A wide range of environmental exposure conditions were represented by the locations that were sampled, including both natural soils, and soils influenced by past and present uranium mining activities. The bioavailable (226)Ra fraction in soils was found to be a better predictor of (226)Ra fruit activity concentrations than the total soil activity concentration, or any of the other fractions studied. Concentration Factors (CFs) derived using the bioavailable fraction varied by only a factor of 7 between different locations, whereas CFs derived using other fractions and total soil varied by up to two orders of magnitude. CFs were highest for those soils containing the lowest concentrations of Mg, Ca and Ba, and approached a saturation value at higher soil concentrations. This finding suggests that group II elements influence radium uptake, most likely the result of increased pressure on the plant to take up essential nutrient group II elements from soil with the lower concentrations, with Ra being taken up as an analogue element. It is also possible that at higher concentrations of bioavailable Ca and Mg in the soil, these ions will outcompete Ra for adsorption sites in the soil and/or on the root surfaces. The study also shows that (228)Ra can potentially be a significant contributor to ingestion doses and should also be considered when assessing committed effective doses from the ingestion of fruits.

Antiulcer and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Passiflora foetida L.

Passiflora foetida L. (Passifloraceae), a widely growing perennial climber, has been used in traditional medicine for treating many ailments. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ethanolic extract of P. foetida (EEPF) whole plant on gastric ulcer. The antiulcer effects of EEPF at 100 and 200 mg/kg doses were evaluated on ethanol and aspirin-induced gastric ulcer models. The antioxidant parameters and histological changes in gastric tissue of ulcer rats were also determined in both the models. P. foetida treatment significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the ulcer index and significantly (P < 0.01) increased the gastric pH of both ethanol and aspirin-induced ulcer rats. P. foetida showed significant (P < 0.01) reduction in lipid peroxidation and increase in reduced glutathione levels. The observations confirm that EEPF whole plant has antiulcer and antioxidant activities.

Intoxicação experimental por Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae) em caprinos / Experimental poisoning by Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae) in goats

Passiflora foetida is mentioned as a toxic plant by farmers in northeastern Brazil. This research aimed to establish the toxicity of P. foetida for goats, in different seasons of the year, and to determine its toxic compound. Initially, the plant collected two days before administration was non toxic at the daily dose of 40g per kg of body weight (g/kg) given during two days. Furthermore, the plant was administered immediately after collection at a dose of 4-8g/kg to four goats. The animal that ingested 8g/kg showed severe clinical signs, but recovered after treatment with sodium thiosulfate. The other three goats showed mild signs of poisoning and recovered spontaneously. The plant was then administered during different seasons to 23 goats at the dose of 10g/kg. The plant was significantly (P<0.05) more toxic during the dry season than during the rainy season; 11 out of 14 goats that received the plant in the dry season showed clinical signs, but only 3 out of 13 goats that ingested the plant during the rainy season had signs. All goats with clinical signs recovered after the administration of sodium thiosulfate. Clinical signs were apathy, tachycardia and tachypnea, jugular venous pulse, incoordination, bellowing, mydriasis, and sternal recumbence followed by lateral recumbence. Before each administration the plant was tested for cyanide by the picric acid paper test to estimate the cyanide concentration in the plant, which was defined as slight, moderate, high, and very high. Samples with slight reaction were not toxic, those with moderate reaction induced mild signs of poisoning, and those with high reaction induced severe clinical signs. Samples with very high concentrations of cyanide were not observed. The results demonstrated that P. foetida is a cyanogenic plant, which causes poisoning after the ingestion of fresh leaves, mainly during the dry period.

Passiflora foetida é mencionada por produtores da região Nordeste como causa de intoxicação espontânea em animais. Este trabalho teve por objetivos avaliar a toxicidade de P. foetida em caprinos e determinar seu princípio ativo e a época do ano em que a mesma é tóxica. Inicialmente a planta administrada em duas doses diárias de 40g por kg de peso animal (g/kg) coletada dois dias antes da administração não resultou tóxica. Posteriormente a planta administrada imediatamente após a coleta resultou tóxica nas doses que variaram de 4 a 8 g/kg, em quatro caprinos. O animal que recebeu 8g/kg apresentou sinais clínicos graves e recuperou-se após a administração de tiossulfato de sódio. Os demais caprinos apresentaram sinais menos graves e se recuperaram espontaneamente. Posteriormente, a planta foi administrada em diferentes épocas a 23 caprinos na dose de 10g/kg. A planta foi significativamente mais tóxica (P<0,05) na época seca; no total, dos 14 caprinos que receberam a planta na época seca, 11 apresentaram sinais clínicos de intoxicação e dos 13 caprinos que receberam a planta na época das chuvas, apenas 3 apresentaram sinais clínicos. Todos os animais que apresentaram sinais clínicos, se recuperaram após a administração de tiosulfato de sódio. Os sinais clínicos caracterizavam-se por apatia, pulso venoso positi-vo, ataxia, berros, taquicardia e taquipneia, midríase e decúbito esternal seguido por decúbito lateral. Antes de cada administração era feito o teste do papel picrosódico para estimar o teor de cianeto na planta, classificando a reação em discreta, leve, moderada e acentuada. As amostras com reação discreta não apresentaram toxicidade, as com reação leve induziram sinais leves e as com reação moderada causaram sinais graves ou moderados de intoxicação. Não foram observados testes com reação acentuada. Os resultados do trabalho demonstram que P. foetida é uma planta cianogênica que causa intoxicação após a ingestão das folhas frescas[...]

Pharmacognostical and preliminary phytochemical studies of Passiflora foetida.

The plant Passiflora foetida (grandilla) has been used mainly for asthma and various neurological disorders by the traditional medicinal practitioners of Chittor District. Since proper information regarding this plant is not available, our efforts were devoted to fix the pharmacognostical parameters and preliminary phytochemical studies of Passiflora foetid. An attempt was made to fix the macroscopical, microscopical parameters of the leaf, quantitative microscopy, physical constants, behaviour of the powder with chemical reagents and preliminary qualitative phytochemical studies of Passiflora foetida were investigated. The phytochemical tests revealed the presence of sterols, flavanoids and carbohydrates.