Phytochemical analysis of Passiflora loefgrenii Vitta, a rich source of luteolin-derived flavonoids with antioxidant properties.

OBJECTIVES: The paper describes the flavonoid composition of the aerial parts (young leaves, YL; adult leaves, AL; stems, ST) of Passiflora loefgrenii Vitta, a rare species native to Brazil, where it is traditionally used as food. Antioxidant potential has also been evaluated. To the best of our knowledge, no phytochemical and biological study on this species has been reported previously. METHODS: Compositional data have been acquired combining HPLC-diode array detector (DAD) and Electrospary ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) analyses. Antioxidant activity has been evaluated by the 2,2'-di-phenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. KEY FINDINGS: Glycosylated flavones, with luteolin as the main aglycone, can be regarded as biomarkers for this drug. Qualitative composition of the extracts from YL, AL and ST was similar. The bulk of the constituents was made up by 8-C-ß-glucosyl luteolin (orientin), 7-O-α-rhamnosyl-6-C-ß-glucosyl luteolin and 6-C-α-rhamnosyl luteolin, which totally amounted to 16.57 (73%), 10.77 (74%) and 5.07 (77%) µg/mg in YL, AL and ST, respectively. P. loefgrenii showed a good antioxidant activity (IC50 of 350 µg/ml), higher than generally reported for other passifloras. CONCLUSIONS: P. loefgrenii, rich in luteolin glycosides, can be regarded as a good candidate to be explored for therapeutic properties other than the sedative one since it represents a rich source of valuable flavonoids with antioxidant potential.

In vitro culture from mature seeds of Passiflora species

The genus Passiflora comprises hundred species, mainly native of the South American tropics and rainforests, which are grouped into 21 subgenera. Some species are widely studied for their economic importance and are chiefly cultivated for production of fruit juice. To obtain a continuous source of material for a screening of secondary metabolites, zygotic embryo culture was attempted for 62 Passiflora species, starting from seeds mainly collected in the wild. Twenty nine of these species produced calli, which had very different growth rates. Plants were successfully regenerated from calli of 13 different species. For 25 of the responsive species this is the first report of in vitro culture.

O gênero Passiflora compõe centenas de espécies, a maioria de origem dos trópicos e das florestas da América do Sul, as quais são agrupadas em 21 subgêneros. Algumas espécies foram intensamente estudadas por sua importância econômica e são cultivadas principalmente para a produção de suco de fruta. Cultura de 29 espécies de Passiflora foram obtidos a partir de embriões zigóticos e de culturas de endosperma. Foram obtidos diferentes tipos de calos de crescimento, de tal forma que plantas foram regeneradas a partir de calos de 13 espécies diferentes. Não haviam sido ainda relatadas culturas in vitro para 25 das espécies trabalhadas.

In vitro culture from mature seeds of Passiflora species

The genus Passiflora comprises hundred species, mainly native of the South American tropics and rainforests, which are grouped into 21 subgenera. Some species are widely studied for their economic importance and are chiefly cultivated for production of fruit juice. To obtain a continuous source of material for a screening of secondary metabolites, zygotic embryo culture was attempted for 62 Passiflora species, starting from seeds mainly collected in the wild. Twenty nine of these species produced calli, which had very different growth rates. Plants were successfully regenerated from calli of 13 different species. For 25 of the responsive species this is the first report of in vitro culture.

O gênero Passiflora compõe centenas de espécies, a maioria de origem dos trópicos e das florestas da América do Sul, as quais são agrupadas em 21 subgêneros. Algumas espécies foram intensamente estudadas por sua importância econômica e são cultivadas principalmente para a produção de suco de fruta. Cultura de 29 espécies de Passiflora foram obtidos a partir de embriões zigóticos e de culturas de endosperma. Foram obtidos diferentes tipos de calos de crescimento, de tal forma que plantas foram regeneradas a partir de calos de 13 espécies diferentes. Não haviam sido ainda relatadas culturas in vitro para 25 das espécies trabalhadas.