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Passiflora alata Curtis (P. alata) leaves have anti-inflammatory properties; the present study aimed to investigate the anti-diabetogenic properties of P. alata aqueous leaf extract. HPLC analysis identified the phenolic compounds catechin, epicatechin and rutin. The aqueous extract was administered for 30weeks to non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice presenting a decrease of 28.6% in diabetes incidence and the number of inflammatory cells in pancreatic islets, when compared with the control group (water). The P. alata group presented an antioxidant effect and decreased lipid peroxidation in the serum of NOD mice. Increased numbers of insulin-positive cells were also observed in the pancreatic islets of the treated group. The diabetic group exhibited higher levels in the glucose tolerance test and glycemic index, in comparison to the P. alata-treated group and non-diabetic control BALB/c mice. In addition, the P. alata extract reduced the percentage and the proliferation index of NOD mice lymphocytes submitted to in vitro dose/response mitogenic stimulation assays. These results suggest that the aqueous extract of P. alata has anti-inflammatory properties, contributing to the protection of beta cells in pancreatic islets in NOD mice, and presents potential for use a supporting approach to treat type 1 diabetes., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

We report on the production and evaluation of passionflower transgenic lines for resistance to Cowpea aphid borne mosaic virus (CABMV). Genetic transformation was done using Agrobacterium tumefaciens and transgene integration was confirmed by Southern blot analyses, resulting in nine transgenic lines for 'IAC 275' and three for 'IAC 277'. Transgenic lines were clonally propagated and evaluated for resistance to CABMV. After the third inoculation, under higher inoculum pressure, only propagated plants of the transgenic line T16 remained asymptomatic, indicating a high resistance to infection with CABMV. This transgenic line was self-pollinated and the R 1 generation was evaluated together with the R 1 generation of another resistant transgenic line (T2) identified previously. Plants were inoculated with CABMV by means of viruliferous Myzus nicotianae. All 524 T2R 1 plants became infected, whereas 13 of 279 T16R 1 remained asymptomatic after four successive inoculations. A T16R 2 generation was obtained and plants were inoculated with CABMV mechanically or by aphids. After successive inoculations, 118 of 258 plants were symptomless, suggesting that the resistance to CABMV was maintained in the plant genome as the homozygous condition was achieved. Five selected resistant T16R 2 plants which contained the capsid protein gene are being crossed for further analyses.

We report the use of the coat protein (CP) gene from Passion fruit woodiness virus (PWV) to produce resistant transgenic plants of yellow passion fruit. A full-length CP gene from a severe PWV isolate from the state of São Paulo, Brazil (PWV-SP) was cloned into pCAMBIA 2300 binary vector, which was further introduced into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA 105. Leaf disks were used as explants for transformation assays, e.g., 2,700 and 2,730 disks excised from plants from the Brazilian cultivars IAC-275 and IAC-277, respectively. In vitro selection was performed in kanamycin. After transferring to the elongation medium, 119 and 109 plantlets of IAC-275 and IAC-277, respectively, were recovered. Integration of the PWV CP gene was confirmed in seven of eight plants evaluated by Southern blot analysis, showing different numbers of insertional events for the CP gene. Three transgenic plants (T3, T4, and T7) expressed the expected transcript, but the 32 kDa PWV CP was detected by Western blot in only two plants (T3 and T4). The results of three successive mechanical inoculations against the transgenic plants using three PWV isolates showed that the primary transformant T2 of IAC-277 was immune to all isolates.