A Systematic Review of Antidiabetic Mechanisms of Passiflora edulis: Beyond Glycemic Control

Passiflora edulis, commonly known as passion fruit, is traditionally used in various cultures for its calming and antidiabetic effects. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the potential of P. edulis on DM based on preclinical evidence from in vivo studies. This review was performed according to the PRISMA guide, using a structured search on the Embase, PubMed-Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane and Scopus platforms. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, and 18 reported antihyperglycemic effects of the plant, either alone or as an adjunct to insulin. Additional benefits included improvements in lipid and antioxidant profiles. The fruit was used in 16 studies, with the peel being the most frequent and effective part (11 studies), likely related to its high content of pectin, phenolics, and flavonoids. Proposed mechanisms include delayed intestinal glucose absorption, stimulation of insulin secretion, partial regeneration of pancreatic β-cells, activation of the PI3K/AKT and AMPK pathways, and antioxidant and hypolipidemic actions. Despite these promising findings, significant methodological limitations, such as lack of dose and extraction process standardization and insufficient phytochemical characterization, affect reproducibility. Nevertheless, the data suggest that passion fruit peel, an often-discarded agro-industrial by-product, may represent a promising source of bioactive compounds for diabetes research.