Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have a major epidemiological and economic
impact worldwide. The main ones that promote more than 80% of premature deaths annually
from CNCDs are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes mellitus, cancer and chronic
respiratory disease. To reduce this prevalence, the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits is
necessary, including proper nutrition. In this context, the consumption of functional foods
usually provides important health benefits, such as prevention of CNCDs. As potential
ingredients of functional foods are the residues from the fruit pulp industry, which are
inappropriately dumped into the environment in most cases. As an example of these residues,
there are the passion fruit seeds, which are referred to as a source of bioactive compounds.
Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the content of phenolic compounds in passion fruit
seed extract (Passiflora edulis) in vitro. The passion fruit seed samples were obtained from
passion fruit acquired in the VeroPeso market, in Belém, Pará State. Subsequently, the seeds
were separated from the fruit, freezedried and characterized in terms of morphology, aspects
physicochemical and bioactive compounds contents. The results obtained reinforced the
presence of bioactive compounds indicated in other studies with the passion fruit seed. In this
study, 83.63 ± 16 mcg/100g of βcarotene were found; 614.82 ± 69 mg AGE/100g of total
phenolic compounds; 55.53 ± 0.76 mg/100g of flavonoids; 0.006 ± 0.0004 mg/100g of
anthocyanins; 98.72 ± 18.80 mg/100g of chlorophyll a; 181.30 ± 34.20 mg/100g of chlorophyll
b; 53.11 ± 8.40 mg/100g of lycopene. It is concluded that passion fruit seed is an important
source of bioactive compounds beneficial to health, adding value to the byproduct for possible
use as a functional ingredient, stimulating its use by the food industry, with an impact on
reducing disposal into the environment.
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