The flour of the passion fruit peel is rich in a soluble fiber called pectin. In order to evaluate the effect of this flour on cholesterol reduction, a pilot clinical study, was carried out with nineteen women, aged between 30 and 60 years, all of whom presented high cholesterol level (cholesterol > 200 mg/dL). The treatment consisted of daily doses of 30 g of the flour during 60 days. At the end of the 60 days it was observed a statistical reduction (p < 0.05) of the total cholesterol (p = 0,00000) and LDL-cholesterol (p = 0,01193) levels. The results suggested that the passion fruit peel flour, rich in pectin, can be used in human diet, with a large variety of foods, or as a raw material for other products intending to reduce cholesterol levels.
Passiflora edulis; Passifloracea; pectin; cholesterol
