Passion Fruit Passiflora Research Articles

Floral biometrics and phenological characterization of flowering and fruiting of the passion fruit Passiflora trintae in southwestern Bahia, Brazil

Floral biometrics and phenological characterization of flowering and fruiting of the passion fruit Passiflora trintae in southwestern Bahia, Brazil

Biocontrol of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae With Bacteria Isolated From Passion Fruit

The yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg is affected by the bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae (Pereira) Dye, causing the bacterial blight disease, for which no effective bactericide is available. The use of live microorganisms in the treatment of pests have shown positive results in the control. This research sought to select bacteria residing in the passion fruit phyllosphere to function as a biocontrol agent of X. axonopodis pv. passiflorae. The selected bacteria were isolated from the passion fruit tree leaves collected in four municipalities of the state of Roraima, and thermostable compounds test and greenhouse test were performed. In total, 28 bacterial isolates were obtained. In the test with thermostable compounds, the isolates RR02, RR04, RR06, RR14, RR16, RR17, RR19, RR20, RR21, RR22, RR23, RR25, and RR27 stood out. In the greenhouse tests, the isolates RR03, RR07, RR09, RR13, RR16, RR21, and RR23 stood out. The results showed potential for the control of X. a. pv. passiflorae in in vitro and in vivo tests.

Allelopathic potential of aqueous extracts of passion fruit Passiflora mucronata fruit peels on lettuce

Pesticide misuse has led to problems in agriculture, contamination of environment, and human health. However, research into alternative methods of controlling invasive plants is expanding. The allelopathic effect of secondary metabolites from plant parts suggests a potential and sustainable alternative to plant residues for use as bioherbicides. Given the above, the current study aimed to investigate the allelopathic potential of various concentrations of the aqueous extract of fruit peels of genotypes of Passiflora mucronata in seed germination and seedling growth of Lactuca sativa L. Fruit peels of genotypes of P. mucronata were used to obtain an aqueous extract, which was then filtered and diluted at the following concentrations: T1=100; T2=50; T3=25; T4=12.5 mg mL-1; T5= negative control (distilled water) and T6= positive control (glyphosate). Germination was carried out in Petri plates and was conditioned in a biochemical oxygen demand germination chamber at 25 ± 2 °C. Macroscopic evaluation was performed at the germination stage and root and aboveground growth of the seedlings, and the germination velocity index were also evaluated. Cytogenetic analysis was performed, and mitotic index was obtained. The design was entirely randomized, with five repetitions of 25 seeds each. Allelopathic substances found in the bark of P. mucronata fruits interfere with seed germination and vigor, as well as initial seedling growth. The germination of L. sativa seeds was 100% inhibited by extract concentrations of 50 % and 100 %. The cell cycle of L. sativa seeds is inhibited by allelopathic substances present in the bark of P. mucronata fruits. It is concluded that aqueous extracts of Passiflora mucronata have an allelopathic inhibitory effect on germination and initial growth of L. sativa

Study on the Biocontrol Potential of Antifungal Peptides Produced by Bacillus velezensis against Fusarium solani That Infects the Passion Fruit Passiflora edulis.

A bacterium identified as Bacillus velezensis with a growth inhibitory effect against Fusarium solani, a pathogen that caused basal stem rot in the passion fruit Passiflora edulis, was isolated in this study. From the fermentation broth of B. velezensis, a type of antifungal peptide (named BVAP) with a molecular weight of ca. 1.5 kDa was purified and found to be fengycin. BVAP suppressed mycelial growth in F. solani with an IC50 of 5.58 μg/mL, which was superior to those of the chemical fungicides thiram (41.24 μg/mL) and hymexazol (343.31 μg/mL). The antifungal activity remained stable after exposure to 50-100 °C or following incubation with solutions at pH 1-3. Further research revealed that BVAP increased the permeability of the F. solani mycelial membrane, brought about swelling at the tips of hyphae, and elicited abnormal accumulation of nucleic acids and chitin at the sites of swelling. These findings indicate that BVAP possessed a remarkable biocontrol potential toward F. solani.

Sampling plan of Tetranychus mexicanus on passion fruit vines

Sampling plans are essential components to establish decision-making systems for integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Thus, this study was aimed to develop a conventional sampling plan of Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor) (Tetranychidae) on the yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis. The work was conducted in nine passion fruit fields with plants at the reproductive stage. Our results indicated that the sample, ideal area, and the technique for the evaluation of the mites in passion fruit were the second and third most apical leaves on the branches, the leaf blade on the abaxial surface near the petiole, and the directly counting the mites using a hand lens with 10× magnification, respectively. The density of T. mexicanus was adjusted to a negative binomial frequency distribution, and they present a common aggregation parameter (Kcommon = 0.5176), which made it possible to generate a sampling plan. The sampling plan consisted of 52 samples per field that took 39 minutes, and the cost of US $6.73 per sampling, respectively. Thus, the sampling plan developed in this study can be used by farmers in management programs for T. mexicanus in passion fruit crops by facilitating the accurate, representative and feasible sampling of this pest at the plant.

Origin of the cultivated passion fruit Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa and genomic relationships among species of the subgenera Decaloba and Passiflora.

Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa is the most economically important species in the genus Passiflora. However, the origin of this yellow form of passion fruit remains unclear, being suggested as a hybrid (P. edulis f. edulis×P. ligularis) or wild mutant. Here, the origin and genomic relationships of P. edulis f. flavicarpa with some related species in the genus Passiflora (subgenera Decaloba and Passiflora) were investigated using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Genomic DNA of 18 species was used as probe, which was hybridized onto chromosomes of P. edulis f. flavicarpa. Of all genomic DNA probes tested, none allowed us to identify a specific chromosome set in P. edulis f. flavicarpa. Conversely, probes from the subgenus Passiflora, P. edulis f. edulis, P. alata, P. cincinnata, P. coccinea, P. nitida and P. vitifolia, produced intense and uniform hybridizations on all chromosomes of P. edulis f. flavicarpa. Moreover, probes from P. ligularis, P. foetida and P. sublanceolata produced more intense hybridizations in the terminal region of four chromosomes, corresponding to the DNAr 45S locus, and also dispersed, less intense, hybridization across all chromosomes. Probes from the subgenus Decaloba, P. biflora, P. capsularis, P. cervii, P. coriacea, P. micropetala, P. morifolia, P. rubra and P. suberosa, produced hybridizations restricted to the DNAr 45S sites. The hybrid origin of P. edulis f. flavicarpa could not be supported based on the GISH results, and it is suggested that this species is conspecific with P. edulis f. edulis, because the probe with DNA of this form hybridized strongly throughout the target genome. The other putative parent species, P. ligularis, showed only a distant relationship with the target genome. The results also suggest that species of the subgenus Passiflora share many repetitive sequences and that the relationship between subgenera Decaloba and Passiflora is very distant.

Pasteurization of passion fruit Passiflora setacea pulp to optimize bioactive compounds retention

Passiflora setacea is a wild species of passion fruit with interesting functional properties. Fruit seasonality demands conservation methods to enable its consumption throughout the year. We evaluated High Temperature Short Time (HTST) and Low Temperature Long Time (LTLT) binomials on physical, chemical, antioxidant and sensory characteristics of Passiflora setacea pulps. In natura (IN) and pasteurized pulps were analysed for DPPH, FRAP, ORAC, total phenolic content (TPC), vitamin C, bioactive amines, flavonoids, color, remaining enzymatic activity (REA), microbiological analyzes, sensory evaluation and physical stability. All binomials reached microbiological standards. Binomials 82 °C/20 s and 82 °C/40 s were selected for providing higher total antioxidant activity (TAA), TPC and lower REA. The highest levels of antioxidant activity, flavonoids, vitamin C were kept by 82 °C/20 s, without difference from IN pulp. LTLT binomial showed higher retention of bioactive amines, but also higher REA. Sensory acceptance was not affected by the binomials but pasteurized-cooked flavor was more checked for 82 °C 40 s than IN pulp.

Acceptability of tropical fruit pulps enriched with vegetal/microbial protein sources: viscosity, importance of nutritional information and changes on sensory analysis for different age groups.

The combination of products traditionally consumed with other components with the alleged classification of functional food has become a continuous reality, if not a necessity. This article investigated the supplementation of tropical fruit pulps (acerola-Malpighia emarginata, guava-Psidium guajava, passion fruit-Passiflora edulis and mandarin-Citrus reticulata), with 5-10% (m/V) on vegetal/microbial protein sources (soy protein, beer yeast and bee pollen). Viscosity and colour analysis were carried out and differences between fruit pulp with no addition and those supplemented were verified, with a specific importance to soy protein, which increased 5-10 times pulps viscosity, while the remaining supplemented formulations, 1.5-3 times. Between the sensory factors (colour, flavour, aroma and appearance), flavour significantly influenced the acceptance of the product (p < 0.05). The nutritional information provided to tasters, as well as to specific age groups (children, elderly and youngsters/adults), significantly increased the product's acceptance; with values ranging between 70 and 80% in some cases, demonstrating the importance of cognitive response on those factors.

Effect of Glycosylation on the Biocatalytic Properties of Hydroxynitrile Lyase from the Passion Fruit, Passiflora edulis: A Comparison of Natural and Recombinant Enzymes.

A hydroxynitrile lyase from the passion fruit Passiflora edulis (PeHNL) was isolated from the leaves and showed high stability in biphasic co-organic solvent systems for cyanohydrin synthesis. Cyanohydrins are important building blocks for the production of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Thus, to enhance production yields of PeHNL for industrial applications, we cloned and expressed recombinant PeHNL in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and Pichia pastoris GS115 cells without a signal peptide sequence. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of N-glycosylation on enzyme stability and catalytic properties in microbial expression systems. PeHNL from leaves (PeHNL-N) and that expressed in P. pastoris (PeHNL-P) were glycosylated, whereas that expressed in E. coli (PeHNL-E) was not. The enzymes PeHNL-N and PeHNL-P showed much better thermostability, pH stability, and organic solvent tolerance than the deglycosylated enzyme PeHNL-E and the deglycosylated mutant N105Q from P. pastoris (PeHNL-P-N105Q). The glycosylated PeHNL-P also efficiently performed transcyanation of (R)-mandelonitrile with a 98 % enantiomeric excess in a biphasic system with diisopropyl ether. These data demonstrate the efficacy of these methods for improving enzyme expression and stability for industrial application through N-glycosylation.

Desenvolvimento, florescimento e análise morfoanatômica do maracujazeiro-amarelo enxertado em espécies silvestres do gênero passiflora

Soil diseases reduce the lifetime of the yellow passion fruit crops, forcing the practice of shifting cultivation. The use of tolerant rootstocks could help control premature demise of plants, providing healthier crops, uniform and long-lived. This paper has aimed quantify the influence of two species of wild passionfruit Passiflora mucronata Lam and P. gibertii NE Brown as rootstocks on the agronomic characteristics of yellow passion fruit. The morphological and anatomical analysis of graft region highlighted the cellular redifferentiation resulting in the connection of the graft and the rootstock hypo and epibioto tissues. The changes in characteristics such as plant height, number of nodes, occurrence rate of nodes, accumulation of thermal units to flowering also discussed. It was observed that P. mucronata as rootstock positively influenced the number of nodes, plant height, the number of flowers and the rate of occurrence of nodes. The wild species used as rootstock developed flower buds prematurely. The specie P. mucronata showed the best performance as rootstock.

Extracts of passion fruit peel and seed of Passiflora edulis (Passifloraceae) attenuate oxidative stress in diabetic rats

This study was aimed at evaluating the anti-diabetic potential of passion fruit Passiflora edulis (EPE) extracts in diabetic rats, following Streptozotocin (STZ) induced oxidative stress. Thirty adult Wistar rats were divided into five groups, with six rats in each group. The control rats were injected intraperitoneally with citrate buffer (pH 4.5). The remaining groups of rats were administered single dose of 45 mg·kg−1 of STZ by intraperitoneal route to induce diabetes. The diabetic animals were treated with 250 and 500 mg·kg−1 of EPE and glibenclamide 0.6 mg·kg−1 for fifteen days by oral route. Blood glucose, end organ oxidative stress marker, and anti-oxidants were assayed. Further, histopathological investigation of pancreas was studied at the end of the experimentation. The results revealed that subacute administration of EPE significantly (P < 0.001) controlled the blood glucose level in the diabetic rats. In addition, EPE extract protected the end organs by restoring the anti-oxidants enzyme, significantly increasing super oxide dismutase level (SOD) and decreasing catalase (CAT) and TBARS level in visceral organs. In conclusion, that EPE extracts showed anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant potential against streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

The importance of plant diversity in maintaining the pollinator bee, Eulaema nigrita (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in sweet passion fruit fields

The euglossine bee Eulaema nigrita plays an important role for the pollination of native and economically important plants, such as the sweet passion-fruit Passiflora alata. E. nigrita uniquely collects the nectar from the flowers of P. alata, nevertheless, it needs to visit other plants to collect pollen, nectar and other resources for its survival. There are two methods to identify the species of plants used by bees in their diet: by direct observation of the bees in the flowers, and through identification of pollen grains present in brood cells, feces, or in the bees' body. In order to identify the other plants that E. nigrita visits, we analyzed samples of pollen grains removed from the bee's body in the course of the flowering period of P. alata. Among our results, the flora visited by E. nigrita comprised 40 species from 32 genera and 19 families, some of them used as a pollen source or just nectar. In spite of being a polyletic species, E. nigrita exhibited preference for some plant species with poricidal anthers. P. alata which has high sugar concentration nectar was the main source of nectar for this bee in the studied area. Nonetheless, the pollinic analysis indicated that others nectariferous plant species are necessary to keep the populations of E. nigrita. Studies such as this one are important since they indicate supplementary pollen-nectar sources which must be used for the conservation of the populations of E. nigrita in crops neighbouring areas. In the absence of pollinators, growers are forced to pay for hand pollination, which increases production costs; keeping pollinators in cultivated areas is still more feasible to ensure sweet passion fruit production.

Crescimento absoluto e relativo de mudas de maracujazeiro sob biofertilizante e águas salinas

An experiment was carried out under greenhouse in DSER/CCA/UFPB, in period May-July 2008, Paraiba state, Brazil, in order to evaluate the effects of salinity water irrigation and bovine biofertilizer on inittial growth of passion fruit Passiflora edulis Sims seedlings. The treatments were distributed competed randomized design, with three repetitions, in factorial arrangement 5 x 2 x 2, refering at levels of irrigation water salinity: 0.5; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 and 4.0 dS m-1, in soil without and with bovine biofertilizer and evaluations made at ages of 25 and 65 days after seedling emergence. For assessing growth the plants’s height, stem diameter, dry matter of the part aerea, roots and dry matter total of the yellow passion fruit plants, but in every condition with low intensity in treatment with bovine biofertilizer.

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Aspectos biológicos de Tetranychus marianae McGregor (Acari, Tetranychidae sobre folhas de maracujazeiro (Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg.)

The passion fruit plant is a host for several different phytophagous mites, mainly those belonging to the Tarsonemidae, Tenuipalpidae and Tetranychidae families. Among the Tetranychidae species are Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor, 1950) and Tetranychus desertorum Banks, 1900. The occurrence of Tetranychus marianae McGregor, 1950 was detected on yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Degener plants under field and greenhouse conditions at the headquarters of Embrapa Cassava & Fruits Tropical Research in Cruz das Almas County, State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. Prior records of T. marianae on the passion fruit crop in Brazil as well as the biological aspects of this species are unknown. The study on the biology of T. marianae on P. edulis f. flavicarpa was carried out under controlled environmental condition of 25 ± 1oC temperature, 80 ± 10% RH and 12 hours photophase. The egg to adult time span lasted 10.73 ± 0.18 days, with a 92% survival figure. The sexual ratio was 81% females. The mean female longevity was 24.53 days and the daily mean oviposition was 3.69 eggs/female. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was 0.172; the finite rate of increase (l) was 1.187 individuals/female/day; the mean time span of one generation (T) was 22.81 days; and the net rate of reproduction (Ro) was 50.14.

Biological aspects of Tetranychus marianae McGregor (Acari, Tetranychidae) reared on yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg.) leaves

The passion fruit plant is a host for several different phytophagous mites, mainly those belonging to the Tarsonemidae, Tenuipalpidae and Tetranychidae families. Among the Tetranychidae species are Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor, 1950) and Tetranychus desertorum Banks, 1900. The occurrence of Tetranychus marianae McGregor, 1950 was detected on yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Degener plants under field and greenhouse conditions at the headquarters of Embrapa Cassava &amp; Fruits Tropical Research in Cruz das Almas County, State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. Prior records of T. marianae on the passion fruit crop in Brazil as well as the biological aspects of this species are unknown. The study on the biology of T. marianae on P. edulis f. flavicarpa was carried out under controlled environmental condition of 25 ± 1ºC temperature, 80 ± 10% RH and 12 hours photophase. The egg to adult time span lasted 10.73 ± 0.18 days, with a 92% survival figure. The sexual ratio was 81% females. The mean female longevity was 24.53 days and the daily mean oviposition was 3.69 eggs/female. The intrinsic rate of increase (r m) was 0.172; the finite rate of increase (l) was 1.187 individuals/female/day; the mean time span of one generation (T) was 22.81 days; and the net rate of reproduction (Ro) was 50.14.

A comparative study of fatty acid profiles of Passiflora seed oils from Uganda

AbstractA comparative study is presented of the FA composition (FAC) of the seed oils from the yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis Sims var. flavicarpa (I), the purple fruit Passiflora edulis Sims var. edulis (II), the purple Kawanda hybrid, which is a cross between I and II (III), and the light‐yellow apple passion fruit Passiflora maliformis L. (IV) grown in Uganda. Oil yields from the four varieties were between 18.5 and 28.3%. A GC analysis of the oils showed the most dominant FA to be linoleic (67.8–74.3%), oleic (13.6–16.9%), palmitic (8.8–11.0%), stearic (2.2–3.1%), and α‐linolenic (0.3–0.4%) acids. The unsaturated FA content in the oils was high (85.4–88.6%). Iodine values of the seed oils of I, II, III, and IV calculated from the FAC were 133, 141, 133, and 138, respectively. The FAC and the iodine value of the seed oil in III are distinctly closer to the rootstock (I) than the scion (II). This indicates that the rootstock influence on the FAC of passion fruit seeds is graft‐transmissible. The study further confirms that passion fruit seed oils represent a good source of essential unsaturated FA.

Flower receptivity and fruit characteristics associated to time of pollination in the yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Degener (Passifloraceae)

Flower receptivity during the period the flower is open was assessed with two histochemical tests, alpha-naphtil acetate and hydrogen peroxide, and with a controlled pollination test in a yellow passion fruit population, from midday to 17:00 h, in two seasons, autumn and summer. The fruit obtained from the pollinated stigmas were assessed for four characteristics: weight, length, diameter and seed number. The time of the day affected flower receptivity and the fruit characteristics. The histochemical tests indicated that flower receptivity was approximately 80% even 5 h after the flower opened. The controlled pollination test resulted in contrasting flower receptivity and mean values of less than 35% receptivity at the end of the period of flower opening. There was high correlation between fruit weight and seed number and between fruit length and diameter. The results indicated that flower receptivity tended to decline sharply after 14:00 h in both autumn and summer while fruit mean values reach the greatest mean percentage in the summer.

Anthocyanins in Fruits ofPassiflora edulisandP. suberosa

The analysis of anthocyanin pigments in the passion fruitPassiflora edulisand in the highly colored fruits ofP. suberosawas performed using combinations of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. In addition to cyanidin 3-glucoside (97%), small amounts of cyanidin 3-(6″-malonylglucoside) (2%) and pelargonidin 3-glucoside (1%) were found in the rind of the passion fruit. The 3-(6″-malonylglucoside) and 3-glucoside of cyanidin, delphinidin, petunidin, and pelargonidin were identified in extracts ofP. suberosa.Anthocyanins acylated with malonic acid constituted 27% of the total anthocyanin content in this latter species.

ChemInform Abstract: THE STRUCTURE AND STEREOCHEMISTRY OF EDULAN I AND II AND THE STEREOCHEMISTRY OF THE 2,5,5,8A‐TETRAMETHYL‐3,4,4A,5,6,7,8,8A‐OCTAHYDRO‐2H‐1‐BENZOPYRANS

AbstractDie Strukturen von Edulan I (Ia) und II (Ib), Spuren‐Bestandteile im Saft der Passionsfrucht (Passiflora edulis (Sims)), werden anhand IR‐, UV‐ und NMR‐spektroskopischer Untersuchungen sowie durch Vergleich mit synthetischem (bekanntem) Material bestimmt.