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  • Purple passion fruit (Passi...
    Fonseca, Alexandre M.A.; Geraldi, Marina V.; Junior, Mário R. Maróstica; Silvestre, Armando J.D.; Rocha, Sílvia M.

    Food research international, October 2022, 2022-10-00, 20221001, Volume: 160
    Journal Article

    Display omitted •Lack of taxonomic consensus causes uncertainty regarding Passiflora properties.•Chemical composition and health benefits of purple passion fruit are systematized.•Besides pulp, peel and seeds also provide significant nutritional and phytochemical value.•Passion fruit peel has shown in vivo benefits in several chronic diseases, mainly due to antioxidant properties.•Purple passion fruit is a suitable source of ingredients for health-promoting food formulations. Passiflora is a highly diverse genus where taxonomic lack of consensus remains. This may be the reason why numerous studies do not specify to the infraspecific level the plant material used or lack consistency in the nomenclature of botanical formae of Passiflora edulis. Ultimately, this may contribute to inaccurate chemical composition and health effects attributed to different Passiflora edulis species and formae. Hence, this review aims to overcome these challenges by exploring the phytochemical profile, specific nutritional value and potential health benefits of purple passion fruit (PPF). PPF is often consumed fresh for its pulp (including seeds) or juice, either directly or added to food dishes. It is also used industrially to produce a wide range of products, where peels and seeds are abundant by-products, most often discarded or used in low-value applications. Herein, in a perspective of integral valorisation of the fruit, the potential use of all PPF fractions (peel, pulp and seeds) is discussed as a source of important macro and micronutrients, adequate to integrate a balanced and healthy diet. In addition, the phytochemical profile of such fractions is also discussed along with the associated in vitro biological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal) and in vivo beneficial effects in the management of several diseases (asthma, hypertension, osteoarthritis, diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis). In summary, this review gathers the current knowledge on the nutritional and phytochemical composition of PPF and highlights the potential of using all fractions as a source of ingredients in food formulations that promote health and well-being. At the same time, it also contributes to defining sustainable strategies for an integrated valorisation of this natural product.