Abstract
Purpose: The origin of Passiflora distributed in the Japanese market is generally assumed to be Passiflora incarnata. However, it was reported that P. edulis may be present in some of them. Passiflora incarnata is the species best known as a sedative. It is distributed from Brazil, southern North America, and throughout Central and South America. In Western Europe, it has long been used in herbal medicine. On the other hand, P. edulis is grown as an edible fruit in many countries, with Brazil being the world?s largest producer. It is also listed in the recent Brazilian Pharmacopoeia FB5 (2010) and FB6 (2019) for medicinal purposes. The genus also includes P. alata. In Brazil, P. alata has long been used in phytotherapy as a sedative and anxiolytic. Therefore, in this study, the author investigates the transition in the standards and test methods of Passiflora listed in FB1 (1929) to FB6 (2019). Furthermore, in recent years, since 2000, overseas academic literature on Passiflora has been extracted and information on the phytochemical components and biological activity of P. edulis and P. alata investigated. After this, the author considered the possibility that both species could exhibit the same biological effects as P. incarnata and researched the possibility of substitutes.
Method: 1) The author investigated the transition in standards and test methods for Passiflora based on P.edulis and P. alata listed in FB1 (1929) to FB6 (2019). 2) In recent years, since 2000, overseas academic literature on Passiflora, whose root plants are P. incarnata, P. edulis, and P. alata, was extracted. He then examined the differences between the two species, transition due to advances in analytical chemistry techniques, and effects on biological activity in the phytochemical composition of P. edulis and P. alata.
