The wild passion fruit species Passiflora setacea, Passiflora alata, and Passiflora tenuifila are native to the Brazilian biomass. The seed waste generated from the extraction of passion fruit juice contains functional polyunsaturated fatty acids and phenolic compounds. The aims of this study were to obtain lipids and natural antioxidants from passion fruit seeds. Passion seed oils were extracted using a lab-scale continuous press and their oxidative stability was evaluated using the Rancimat® method. Higher antioxidant extract capacity was observed when using an ethanol-water solution (70:30) at 45 ºC. In these cases, the total phenolic contents expressed as gallic acid equivalents from P. setacea, P. alata, and P. tenuifila cakes were approximately 1800, 600 and 900 mg·100g−1 of extract. Induction periods increased up to two-fold when adding these extracts to their respective seed oil. Therefore, passion fruit seed extract can contribute to increasing the oxidative stability of polyunsaturated oils.

The present work aimed to obtain bioproducts from Passiflora cincinnata seeds, the Brazilian Caatinga passion fruit, as well as to determine their physical, chemical and biological properties. The seeds were pressed in a continuous press to obtain the oil, which showed an oxidative stability of 5.37 h and a fatty profile rich in linoleic acid. The defatted seeds were evaluated for the recovery of antioxidant compounds by a central rotation experimental design, varying temperature (32–74 °C), ethanol (13–97%) and solid–liquid ratio (1:10–1:60 m/v). The best operational condition (74 °C, 58% ethanol, 1:48) yielded an extract composed mainly of lignans, which showed antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The microencapsulation of linoleic acid-rich oil through spray drying has proven to be an effective method for protecting the oil. Furthermore, the addition of the antioxidant extract to the formulation increased the oxidative stability of the product to 30% (6.97 h), compared to microencapsulated oil without the addition of the antioxidant extract (5.27 h). The microparticles also exhibited favorable technological characteristics, such as low hygroscopicity and high water solubility. Thus, it was possible to obtain three bioproducts from the Brazilian Caatinga passion fruit seeds: the oil rich in linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), antioxidant extract from the defatted seeds and the oil microparticles added from the antioxidant extract.

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