Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) peel increases colonic production of short-chain fatty acids in Wistar rats

•Ingestion of P. edulis peel increased SCFAs in the colon of Wistar rats.•The count of microbiota of colon of Wistar rats fed with P. edulis peel did not changed.•P. edulis peel consumption did not modify activity of antioxidant enzymes in colon.

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) peel, a waste from food industrial processing, is still little explored. It contains fibers, including soluble fibers, which may be a substrate for enteric bacteria and contribute to maintaining bowel health. The purpose of this work was to investigate the action of P. edulis peel in the microbiota, production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and antioxidant potential in the colon of Wistar rats. Seventy-seven-day-old male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: Peel and Control (n = 4). Both groups were fed with standard diet (AIN-93M); however, 50% of the cellulose content in the Peel group diet was replaced by fiber from P. edulis peel flour (PPF). After 15 days, the animals were anesthetized and sacrificed. The results showed that PPF intake positively affected the SCFAs intestinal production. The Peel group had greater butyrate and acetate concentration in cecal content than the Control group (P < 0.05), without alteration in microbiota (counts of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, and Total aerobic). Butyrate is a main substrate of the colonocytes and may improve mucus production, vascular flow, and mucosa barrier function. Changes in the antioxidant enzymes activity (GR, GPx, and SOD) and thiol groups (GSH) were not observed in the Peel group, which suggests that the period of PPF intake was insufficient to affect the oxidative status in the colon. These findings suggest that the Passiflora peel flour may improve bowel health by increasing SCFAs production, although more investigations are necessary about the effect of PPF on the colonic fermentation and the antioxidant status of the colon.