Chapter 102 - Antifungal Protein from Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) Seeds

Abstract

This chapter outlines the usage of passion fruit seeds and its contribution to health and nutrition. Passion fruit has an abundance of vitamins A and C, folic acid, niacin, calcium, iron, potassium, and other nutrients. Two steroidal saponins with three and four glucose moieties, respectively, have been found to exert fungicidal effects on Aspergillus and Fusarium spp. An antifungal protein has been isolated from seeds of the passion fruit (Passiflora edulis). Passiflin specifically inhibits the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, with an IC50 of 16 mM, but no effect is seen on two other fungi, Fusarium oxysporum and Mycosphaerella arachidicola. It suppresses proliferation of breast cancer cells with an IC50 of 15 μM, but there is no effect on hepatoma HepG2 cells. It is devoid of ribonuclease, hemagglutinating, and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activities that may be present in some antifungal proteins. In addition to the aforementioned antifungal proteins and peptides, passion fruit has other therapeutic effects. Dietary fiber from passion-fruit rind may be promising for treatment of ailments such as diabetes, colon cancer, and other diverticular diseases. 2S albumin-like antifungal proteins and peptides distinct from passiflin in species specificity of antifungal activity have also been isolated from passion fruit.