Abstract
Passiflora caerulea L. (Passifloraceae) (“mburucuyá”, “maracujá-laranja”), a widely distributed species in South America, has been traditionally considered as a medicinal, ornamental, and edible plant. Its fruits, besides being well appreciated for their flavor and sweetness, have valuable nutritional properties. The ethnopharmacological use as anxiolytic, antistress and sedative of the non-reproductive aerial parts (leaves and tendrils) from P. caerulea is the main reason for its commercialization as an infusion herb. In general, its preparations are rich in flavonoids (chrysin and C-glycosides such as vitexin, isovitexin, orientin, isoorientin, and vicenin-2, among others), which were confirmed as responsible for the anxiolytic effect. The Argentine Pharmacopeia includes a monograph on P. caerulea, while other Pharmacopeias (Brazilian, European, and British) consider it as a potential adulterant of P. incarnata and P. edulis. Harmala alkaloids from P. caerulea might also contribute to the anxiolytic effect, but no preclinical assays have been conducted to confirm it. Pharmacological research confirmed other bioactivities associated with the aerial parts of P. caerulea, such as antimicrobial, gastroprotective, analgesic, and anticonvulsant. Even though, no systematic toxicological assessments have been conducted in order to evaluate the safety in the consumption, especially regarding the presence of cyanogenic glycosides both in the vegetal drug and the unripe fruits.
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Minteguiaga, M., Wallace, F., Basile, P., Ferreira, F., Olivaro, C., Dellacassa, E. (2021). Passiflora caerulea L.. In: Máthé, Á., Bandoni, A. (eds) Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of South America Vol. 2. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62818-5_32
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