Blue Passionflower

What Is Blue Passionflower?

Blue passionflower is a hardy, fast-growing passionflower vine from South America, grown in gardens around the world for its striking flowers. It is the national flower of Paraguay ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

It is native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay ^{14Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →}. It is cold-hardy enough to grow outdoors in much cooler climates than most passionflowers, and it is the passionflower most often seen on garden walls in temperate countries ^{14,16Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}. In its native range it is used as a folk sedative and for complaints of the gut ^{2,5Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.

In 1990, researchers identified the flavone chrysin in this plant and showed that it binds to the benzodiazepine receptor ^{2Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →}. Later animal work has studied the leaf and fruit for seizures, inflammation and the gut. No human study has been run on this species.

Blue passionflower is a different species from the medicinal passionflower, P. incarnata. The two can be told apart by their leaves and by their flavonoid profiles ^{12,14Reference 12Pereira et al. · 2004A HPTLC densitometric determination of flavonoids from Passiflora alata, P. edulis, P. incarnata and P. caerulea and comparison with HPLC method — analyticalView study →Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →}.

How Is Blue Passionflower Used?

• Aerial parts — taken in South American folk medicine for the gut and as a sedative ^{2,5Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.
• Fruit — edible but bland ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.
• Ornamental — grown on walls, fences and trellises ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

Other Passionflowers

Passiflora holds roughly 500 species. Four besides this one have their own pages.

• Passionflower (P. incarnata) — the species of the pharmacopoeias, and the one tested in the human anxiety and sleep trials.
• Winged-stem passionflower (P. alata) — Brazil’s official passionflower since 1929, with a flavonoid profile unlike P. incarnata’s.
• Passion fruit (P. edulis) — the fruit crop, with three separate medicines: a sedative leaf, a fruit peel with human blood-sugar data, and a seed rich in stilbenes.
• Stinking passionflower (P. foetida) — a tropical weed used for pain rather than calm.

Traditional Uses

South American Folk Medicine

In Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay the plant is mburucuyá. It is used in folk medicine as a sedative ^{2Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →}.

It is also commonly used for a range of complaints of the gastrointestinal tract ^{5Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.

Indications

• Nervousness and restlessness [aerial parts; South American folk use]
• Diarrhoea, intestinal cramping and inflamed bowel [aerial parts; South American folk use]
• Seizures [leaf and fruit extracts]
• Inflammation and fever [leaf extract]
• Pain [leaf extract] ⚠Caution: Isolated chrysin, one of the plant’s flavones, increased pain sensitivity in mice ⁷.

Botany

Blue passionflower is a climbing vine in the passionflower family (Passifloraceae) ^{14Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →}. It climbs by tendrils and can reach 3–12 m ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

Its leaves are deeply divided into (3–)5–7(–9) lobes, 3–10 cm long, with the middle lobe as long as or longer than the side lobes ^{14Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →}. This separates it from P. incarnata and from the hybrid P. × belotii, whose leaves are three-lobed ^{14Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →}.

The flowers are 6–10 cm across, with white sepals and petals ^{14,15Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →Reference 15Wang et al.E., Jørgensen, PView study →}. The corona filaments that give the flower its look are dark purple at the base, white in the middle and blue or purple at the tip ^{14,15Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →Reference 15Wang et al.E., Jørgensen, PView study →}.

The fruit is an egg-shaped yellow-orange to orange berry, 3–6 cm long ^{14,15Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →Reference 15Wang et al.E., Jørgensen, PView study →}. It holds many seeds ^{15Reference 15Wang et al.E., Jørgensen, PView study →} and is edible but bland ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

Even without setting seed, the plant can spread locally by suckers from the roots ^{14Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →}.

Distribution

Blue passionflower is native to South America, in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay ^{14,15Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →Reference 15Wang et al.E., Jørgensen, PView study →}.

It is grown as an ornamental far beyond that range. In North America it is widely cultivated but naturalised only around Los Angeles, where it grows in disturbed ground, open woodland and chaparral ^{14Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →}. In China it is grown in Guangxi, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan ^{15Reference 15Wang et al.E., Jørgensen, PView study →}.

Material is cultivated or gathered from garden plants, and there is no wild-collection trade in it.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Blue Passionflower

SunFull sun to partial shade ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

WaterMoist soil with good drainage; it likes high humidity ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

SoilClay, loam or sand, at any pH ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

LifePerennial vine; evergreen in warm climates and deciduous in colder ones ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

ZoneUSDA 6–10. In the coldest of these it may not flower, because the growing season is short ^{14,16Reference 14GoldmanH., & MacDougal, JView study →Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

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Pharmacology & Research

About a dozen studies bear directly on Passiflora caerulea, all of them in animals or in the laboratory. No human trial has been run on this species.

The first line of work is on chrysin, identified in this plant in 1990 as a ligand of the benzodiazepine receptor ^{1,2Reference 1Wolfman et al. · 1994AnimalPossible anxiolytic effects of chrysin, a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand isolated from Passiflora coerulea — animal modelView study →Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →}. The second is on whole leaf and fruit extracts, tested for seizures, inflammation, pain, fever and the gut ^{3,4,5Reference 3Smilin Bell Aseervatham et al. · 2020AnimalPassiflora caerulea L. fruit extract and its metabolites ameliorate epileptic seizure, cognitive deficit and oxidative stress in pilocarpine-induced epileptic mice — animal modelView study →Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.

1. Anticonvulsant

An aqueous fruit extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg by mouth, daily for 15 days, was tested against pilocarpine-induced seizures in mice, with diazepam as the comparator. The higher dose delayed the onset of convulsions and shortened clonic convulsions. Both doses improved Y-maze performance that pilocarpine had impaired, and the extract reduced oxidative damage, raised cholinergic transmission and lessened neuron loss in the hippocampus ^{3Reference 3Smilin Bell Aseervatham et al. · 2020AnimalPassiflora caerulea L. fruit extract and its metabolites ameliorate epileptic seizure, cognitive deficit and oxidative stress in pilocarpine-induced epileptic mice — animal modelView study →}.

An ethanolic extract of leaves from plants grown in Egypt was rated at 63% of carbamazepine’s anticonvulsant potency ^{4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →}.

Chrysin from this plant binds competitively to the central benzodiazepine receptor, with a Ki of about 3 µM. Injected into the brain of mice, it prevented pentylenetetrazol-induced tonic-clonic seizures, an effect abolished by the antagonist Ro 15-1788. All treated mice also lost their righting reflex, suggesting muscle relaxation ^{2Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →}.

2. Antioxidant

The ethanolic leaf extract reached 71% of vitamin E’s antioxidant effect in the Egyptian study ^{4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →}. In Bulgarian laboratory work, 70% ethanol leaf extracts gave the highest antioxidant values on three of four assays, and 50% ethanol extracts were strongest for the pulp ^{6Reference 6Gerasimova et al. · 2024In vitroMetabolic profile of leaves and pulp of Passiflora caerulea L. (Bulgaria) and their biological activities — analytical / in vitroView study →}. In the pilocarpine model the fruit extract lowered oxidative damage in brain tissue ^{3Reference 3Smilin Bell Aseervatham et al. · 2020AnimalPassiflora caerulea L. fruit extract and its metabolites ameliorate epileptic seizure, cognitive deficit and oxidative stress in pilocarpine-induced epileptic mice — animal modelView study →}.

The leaves carry more phenolics and flavonoids than the flowers, stems or roots, whatever solvent is used ^{11Reference 11Lezoul et al. · 2020Extraction processes with several solvents on total bioactive compounds in different organs of three medicinal plants — analyticalView study →}.

Gap: no human antioxidant data exist, and the strongest readings come from high-ethanol leaf extracts rather than any preparation the plant is consumed as.

3. Anti-Inflammatory

The ethanolic leaf extract was rated at 90% of indomethacin’s anti-inflammatory effect ^{4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →}, and Bulgarian laboratory assays found the leaf more anti-inflammatory than the pulp ^{6Reference 6Gerasimova et al. · 2024In vitroMetabolic profile of leaves and pulp of Passiflora caerulea L. (Bulgaria) and their biological activities — analytical / in vitroView study →}.

In an acetic-acid colitis model, an ethanolic extract at 250 mg/kg by mouth reduced the colon weight-to-length ratio, the visible lesion score, TBARS levels and tissue damage under the microscope ^{5Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.

4. Anxiolytic

Chrysin from P. caerulea was anxiolytic in mice on the elevated plus-maze at 1 mg/kg, and the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15-1788 abolished the effect ^{1Reference 1Wolfman et al. · 1994AnimalPossible anxiolytic effects of chrysin, a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand isolated from Passiflora coerulea — animal modelView study →}. Unlike high-dose diazepam, chrysin at the doses tested caused neither sedation on the holeboard test nor muscle relaxation on the horizontal wire test ^{1Reference 1Wolfman et al. · 1994AnimalPossible anxiolytic effects of chrysin, a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand isolated from Passiflora coerulea — animal modelView study →}. Later reviews describe chrysin acting mainly through GABAergic and serotonergic systems ^{9Reference 9Rodríguez-Landa et al. · 2022ReviewPharmacological, neurochemical, and behavioral mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of flavonoid chrysin — reviewView study →}.

No whole-extract anxiety study has been run in this species. A combined Melissa officinalis and P. caerulea infusion at 200 mg/kg lowered plasma corticosterone in mice under restraint stress, but the design cannot separate the two plants ^{8Reference 8Feliú-Hemmelmann et al. · 2013AnimalMelissa officinalis and Passiflora caerulea infusion as physiological stress decreaser — animal modelView study →}.

Gap: the anxiolytic evidence is for isolated chrysin, not the whole plant, and the chrysin content of a tea or tincture has not been measured.

5. Antispasmodic & Gastrointestinal

The ethanolic extract reduced watery stools in castor-oil-induced diarrhoea at 125 mg/kg by mouth. On isolated rat jejunum it reduced contractions caused by acetylcholine and by calcium, in proportion to the dose ^{5Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.

The study set out to test the plant’s South American folk use for the gut, and found anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhoeal and antispasmodic activity ^{5Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.

6. Analgesic

The ethanolic leaf extract was rated at 70% of indomethacin’s analgesic effect ^{4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →}.

Isolated chrysin, however, increased pain sensitivity in mice. Given by injection, it shortened tail-withdrawal time in a dose-dependent way, with an ED50 of about 66 mg/kg, and 75 mg/kg by mouth had the same effect. Flumazenil, bicuculline and picrotoxin blocked it, placing the effect at the GABA-A receptor ^{7Reference 7Zhai et al. · 2008AnimalChrysin induces hyperalgesia via the GABAA receptor in mice — animal modelView study →}.

Gap: the whole-extract and isolated-chrysin results point in opposite directions. The net effect of a real preparation is unknown.

7. Antipyretic

The ethanolic leaf extract reached 90% of paracetamol’s antipyretic effect in the one comparison made ^{4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →}. No other study has tested it.

8. Antibacterial

In the laboratory, 50% ethanol leaf extracts were more active against Gram-positive bacteria, and 70% ethanol leaf extracts more active against Gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella enteritidis ^{6Reference 6Gerasimova et al. · 2024In vitroMetabolic profile of leaves and pulp of Passiflora caerulea L. (Bulgaria) and their biological activities — analytical / in vitroView study →}. There is no animal infection model.

Mechanisms

Chrysin binds the central benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor. This has been studied for its anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects, and also for the increased pain sensitivity seen in mice ^{1,2,7Reference 1Wolfman et al. · 1994AnimalPossible anxiolytic effects of chrysin, a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand isolated from Passiflora coerulea — animal modelView study →Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →Reference 7Zhai et al. · 2008AnimalChrysin induces hyperalgesia via the GABAA receptor in mice — animal modelView study →}.

The whole leaf and fruit extracts carry flavonoids, including C-glycosyl flavones, that have been studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Their effects on the gut have not been traced to a single compound ^{4,5Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}.

Clinical Trials

No clinical trials are registered for Passiflora caerulea. The human passionflower trials were run in P. incarnata.

Last checked: September 2026.

Phytochemistry

The leaves carry more phenolics and flavonoids than the flowers, stems or roots ^{11Reference 11Lezoul et al. · 2020Extraction processes with several solvents on total bioactive compounds in different organs of three medicinal plants — analyticalView study →}.

Chrysin was identified in the plant in 1990 ^{2Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →}. It is also found in many other plants, including P. incarnata and chamomile ^{7,9Reference 7Zhai et al. · 2008AnimalChrysin induces hyperalgesia via the GABAA receptor in mice — animal modelView study →Reference 9Rodríguez-Landa et al. · 2022ReviewPharmacological, neurochemical, and behavioral mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of flavonoid chrysin — reviewView study →}.

From an Egyptian leaf extract, three compounds were isolated from the most active anticonvulsant fraction: lucenin-2 (luteolin 6,8-di-C-glucoside), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, and chrysin 6-C-β-D-glucoside. The chrysin glucoside made up 0.0184 g per 100 g of dried leaf ^{4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →}.

An Argentine ethanolic extract contained the C-glycosyl flavones isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin and vicenin-2 ^{5Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →}. The fruit extract contained naringenin, chrysoeriol 8-C-glucoside, luteolin-6-C-glucoside and apigenin-6,8-di-C-glucoside ^{3Reference 3Smilin Bell Aseervatham et al. · 2020AnimalPassiflora caerulea L. fruit extract and its metabolites ameliorate epileptic seizure, cognitive deficit and oxidative stress in pilocarpine-induced epileptic mice — animal modelView study →}.

The flowers contain β-carboline alkaloids — norharman, harmane, harmine, harmol, harmaline and harmalol. Their total ranges from 1 to 110 µg/kg, depending on the floral organ and the age of the flower, and is about ten times higher in the anthers ^{10Reference 10Ospina-Calvo et al. · 2024Distribution of photoactive β-carboline alkaloids across Passiflora caerulea floral organs — analyticalView study →}.

In Bulgarian material, β-sitosterol was the major sterol of leaf and pulp. Fructose (7.5%) was the main sugar of the pulp, and palmitoleic acid the main fatty acid of both ^{6Reference 6Gerasimova et al. · 2024In vitroMetabolic profile of leaves and pulp of Passiflora caerulea L. (Bulgaria) and their biological activities — analytical / in vitroView study →}.

The leaf flavonoids differ in kind and amount between P. caerulea, P. incarnata, P. alata and P. edulis, which lets the species be told apart in commercial material ^{12,13Reference 12Pereira et al. · 2004A HPTLC densitometric determination of flavonoids from Passiflora alata, P. edulis, P. incarnata and P. caerulea and comparison with HPLC method — analyticalView study →Reference 13McCullagh et al. · 2021Profiling of the known-unknown Passiflora variant complement by liquid chromatography-ion mobility-mass spectrometry — analyticalView study →}.

Constituent Summary

Constituent	Part	Note
Chrysin	Aerial parts	Benzodiazepine-receptor ligand, Ki ≈ 3 µM 1,2Reference 1Wolfman et al. · 1994AnimalPossible anxiolytic effects of chrysin, a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand isolated from Passiflora coerulea — animal modelView study →Reference 2Medina et al. · 1990AnimalChrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal modelView study →
Chrysin 6-C-glucoside	Leaf	0.0184 g per 100 g of dried leaf; from the active anticonvulsant fraction 4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →
Lucenin-2	Leaf	Luteolin 6,8-di-C-glucoside; from the same fraction 4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →
Isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin	Aerial parts	Identified in the ethanolic extract 5Reference 5Anzoise et al. · 2016AnimalBeneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal modelView study →
Norharman, harmane, harmine, harmol, harmaline, harmalol	Flower	1–110 µg/kg; about ten times higher in the anthers 10Reference 10Ospina-Calvo et al. · 2024Distribution of photoactive β-carboline alkaloids across Passiflora caerulea floral organs — analyticalView study →
β-sitosterol	Leaf, pulp	The major sterol 6Reference 6Gerasimova et al. · 2024In vitroMetabolic profile of leaves and pulp of Passiflora caerulea L. (Bulgaria) and their biological activities — analytical / in vitroView study →
Naringenin, luteolin-6-C-glucoside	Fruit	Among the fruit polyphenols 3Reference 3Smilin Bell Aseervatham et al. · 2020AnimalPassiflora caerulea L. fruit extract and its metabolites ameliorate epileptic seizure, cognitive deficit and oxidative stress in pilocarpine-induced epileptic mice — animal modelView study →

Dosage

No human dose has been established for this species, and no traditional preparation has a standard amount. The pharmacopoeial monographs and doses for passionflower describe P. incarnata.

Research Doses

These are animal doses and isolated-compound doses, so no dried-herb equivalent is given.

Traditional Dosage

Safety & Pregnancy

Blue passionflower has not been studied for safety in people. No toxicity was reported in the animal studies.

Full Safety Detail

β-carboline alkaloids. The genus is often discussed as a source of monoamine-oxidase-inhibiting β-carbolines. In this species they have been measured directly: norharman, harmane, harmine, harmol, harmaline and harmalol together run at 1–110 µg/kg across the floral organs, about ten times higher in the anthers ^{10Reference 10Ospina-Calvo et al. · 2024Distribution of photoactive β-carboline alkaloids across Passiflora caerulea floral organs — analyticalView study →}.

Cyanogenic glycosides. NC State Extension lists the leaves and stems as poisonous to people and to pets and horses, with cyanogenic glycosides as the toxic principle. The symptoms listed are severe nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and irregular heartbeat ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}. The fruit is eaten ^{16Reference 16NC State Extension (n.d.)Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) — description, growing conditions, hardiness and toxicity — horticultural databaseView study →}.

Pain. The ethanolic leaf extract scored 70% of indomethacin’s analgesia in one study ^{4Reference 4El-Askary et al. · 2017AnimalBioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistryView study →}, while isolated chrysin increased pain sensitivity in mice through the GABA-A receptor ^{7Reference 7Zhai et al. · 2008AnimalChrysin induces hyperalgesia via the GABAA receptor in mice — animal modelView study →}.

Identity. Blue passionflower is a different species from the medicinal P. incarnata. The dosing, the trials and the pharmacopoeial quality standards for passionflower were built on P. incarnata, and analytical methods can tell the species apart by their flavonoids ^{12,13Reference 12Pereira et al. · 2004A HPTLC densitometric determination of flavonoids from Passiflora alata, P. edulis, P. incarnata and P. caerulea and comparison with HPLC method — analyticalView study →Reference 13McCullagh et al. · 2021Profiling of the known-unknown Passiflora variant complement by liquid chromatography-ion mobility-mass spectrometry — analyticalView study →}.

What has not been studied. There is no toxicology study, no genotoxicity work, no pharmacokinetic data and no drug-interaction study for Passiflora caerulea.

References

1. Wolfman, C., Viola, H., Paladini, A., Dajas, F., Medina, J. H. (1994). Possible anxiolytic effects of chrysin, a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand isolated from Passiflora coerulea — animal model. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7906886/
2. Medina, J. H., Paladini, A. C., Wolfman, C., et al. (1990). Chrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties — animal model. Biochem Pharmacol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2173925/
3. Smilin Bell Aseervatham, G., Abbirami, E., Sivasudha, T., Ruckmani, K. (2020). Passiflora caerulea L. fruit extract and its metabolites ameliorate epileptic seizure, cognitive deficit and oxidative stress in pilocarpine-induced epileptic mice — animal model. Metab Brain Dis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31728889/
4. El-Askary, H. I., Haggag, M. Y., Abou-Hussein, D. R., et al. (2017). Bioactivity-guided study of Passiflora caerulea L. leaf extracts — animal model / phytochemistry. Iran J Pharm Res. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29844775/
5. Anzoise, M. L., Marrassini, C., Bach, H., Gorzalczany, S. (2016). Beneficial properties of Passiflora caerulea on experimental colitis — animal model. J Ethnopharmacol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27596328/
6. Gerasimova, A., Nikolova, K., Petkova, N., et al. (2024). Metabolic profile of leaves and pulp of Passiflora caerulea L. (Bulgaria) and their biological activities — analytical / in vitro. Plants (Basel). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38999571/
7. Zhai, K., Hu, L., Chen, J., Fu, C. Y. (2008). Chrysin induces hyperalgesia via the GABAA receptor in mice — animal model. Planta Med. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18612941/
8. Feliú-Hemmelmann, K., Monsalve, F., Rivera, C. (2013). Melissa officinalis and Passiflora caerulea infusion as physiological stress decreaser — animal model. Int J Clin Exp Med. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23844268/
9. Rodríguez-Landa, J. F., German-Ponciano, L. J., Puga-Olguín, A., Olmos-Vázquez, O. J. (2022). Pharmacological, neurochemical, and behavioral mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of flavonoid chrysin — review. Molecules. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35684488/
10. Ospina-Calvo, B., De Gerónimo, E., Villarruel, F. D., et al. (2024). Distribution of photoactive β-carboline alkaloids across Passiflora caerulea floral organs — analytical. Photochem Photobiol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37448143/
11. Lezoul, N. E. H., Belkadi, M., Habibi, F., Guillén, F. (2020). Extraction processes with several solvents on total bioactive compounds in different organs of three medicinal plants — analytical. Molecules. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33066273/
12. Pereira, C. A., Yariwake, J. H., Lanças, F. M., et al. (2004). A HPTLC densitometric determination of flavonoids from Passiflora alata, P. edulis, P. incarnata and P. caerulea and comparison with HPLC method — analytical. Phytochem Anal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15311844/
13. McCullagh, M., Goshawk, J., Eatough, D., et al. (2021). Profiling of the known-unknown Passiflora variant complement by liquid chromatography-ion mobility-mass spectrometry — analytical. Talanta. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33076047/
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