Comparative study of Passiflora taxa leaves: II. A chromatographic profile

ABSTRACT Popularly known as passion fruit, some species of the genus Passiflora are widely used in folk medicines, such as sedatives and tranquilizers in many countries. Although these plants are employed for the same purposes, research with different species of Passiflora has indicated their heterogeneous chemical compositions. Since different chemical compositions can result in varying degrees of therapeutic efficiency, quality control based on the chemical constituents of each species is essential. To that end, the aim of this study was to compare pharmacognostically species of Passiflora in order to establish a chromatographic profile for the quality control of drugs in herbal medicines containing passion fruit. The study was conducted by collecting samples of leaves from twelve Passiflora taxa (i.e., ten species and two forms of P. edulis) – P. actinia, P. alata, P. amethystina, P. capsularis, P. cincinnata, P. edulis f. flavicarpa, P. edulis f. edulis, P. incarnata, P. morifolia, P. urnifolia, P. coccinea, and P. setacea – from different locations and obtaining their chromatographic profiles via thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. Both methods used the flavonoid C-glycosides isoorientin, orientin, vitexin, and isovitexin as reference compounds and could ultimately establish specific profiles for each species. The chromatographic analyses discussed here can be used to assist in determining the quality and authenticity of herbal drugs derived from Passiflora species.

Sedative and anxiolytic effects of methanolic extract from the leaves of Passiflora actinia

Leaves from several Passiflora species are largely employed in the Brazilian folk medicine as anxiolytic and sedative. In this work the anxiolytic, sedative-like properties and liquid chromatography analysis of methanolic extract of Passiflora actinia were evaluated. The methanol extract and all of its fractions presented significant sedative-like effect in elevated plus-maze and open field tests. Only the aqueous fraction of the methanol extract showed selective anxiolytic activity (30 mg/kg). Chromatographic analysis of the active fractions showed the presence of isovitexin and absence of the classical Passiflora beta-carboline alkaloids or flavonoids such as vitexin, rutin, swertisin, hesperidin and orientin. The tincture obtained from P. actinia leaves presented 0.27 mg/ml of isovitexin and absence of vitexin.

Folhas de diversas espécies de Passiflora são amplamente empregadas na medicina popular brasileira como ansiolítica e sedativa. Neste trabalho, as propriedades ansiolíticas e sedativas e análise por cromatografia líquida dos extratos metanólicos de Passiflora actinia foram avaliados. O extrato metanólico e todas as suas frações apresentaram efeitos sedativos significativos nos testes de labirinto em cruz elevada e campo aberto. Somente a fração aquosa do extrato metanólico mostrou seletiva atividade sedativa (30 mg/kg). Análise cromatográfica das frações ativas mostraram a presença de isovitexina e ausência dos alcalóides beta-carbolínicos clássicos de Passiflora ou flavonóides como vitexina, rutina, swertisina, hesperidina e orientina. A tintura obtida de P. actinia (folhas) apresentou 0,27 mg/ml de isovitexina e ausência de vitexina.