Chemical Profiling and Photoprotective Activity of Extracts from Colombian Passiflora Byproducts

Agro-industrial byproducts from Colombian Passiflora species represent an underexplored source of chemically diverse metabolites with promising cosmetic and pharmaceutical potential. This study investigated the chemical profiles and photoprotective potential of polar extracts obtained from byproducts (leaves, pericarps, and seeds) of six commercially relevant Passiflora species cultivated in Colombia (P. ligularis, P. edulis var. edulis, P. edulis var. flavicarpa, P. maliformis, P. quadrangularis and P. tarminiana × P. tripartita). Butanolic fractions from leaves and pericarps and hydroethanolic seed extracts were analyzed using ¹H NMR, GC-FID, GC-MS and UHPLC-qTOF. NMR profiling revealed aromatic signals mainly associated with flavonoids and stilbenoids in leaves and pericarps, while seeds exhibited abundant fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid. Molecular networking enabled the visualization of chemical diversity and supported the identification of 74 metabolites, including flavonoids, saponins, and stilbenoids, using Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS), SIRIUS (Version 6.0.5) software, and comparison with the literature. In vitro spectrophotometric photoprotective evaluation using the Mansur equation at 200 ppm showed that leaf extracts exhibited the highest sun protection factor (SPF) values, followed by seeds and pericarps, consistent with their phenolic composition. All active extracts demonstrated broad-spectrum protection, with high UVA ratios and critical wavelength values. These findings highlight the potential of Passiflora byproducts as sustainable sources of natural photoprotective agents for cosmetic applications.