Acne responds to topical passion fruit purple variant extract

Topical application of passion fruit purple variant seeds extract shows potential in the treatment of acne vulgaris, producing improvements in lesion counts and ultraviolet‐induced red fluorescence (UVRF) with minimal adverse events and good satisfaction rate, according to the results of an open-label trial.

In total, 45 adult patients (62.2 percent female) with acne vulgaris were treated with passion fruit purple variant seeds extract 10% cream for 8 weeks. The mean baseline noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts were 88.22, 22.44, and 110.67, respectively.

At the end of treatment, noninflammatory lesion counts decreased by 80.9 percent (p<0.001), total acne lesion counts by 73 percent (p<0.001), and inflammatory lesion counts by 71.1 percent (p<0.001).

Furthermore, there were significant reductions observed in UVRF spot quantity (36 percent; p<0.001) and percentage area (45.9 percent; p<0.001).

A single patient had mild and transient peeling for 1 week, and this was the only adverse event documented for the passion fruit purple variant seeds extract cream.

The majority of the population expressed good satisfaction (77.8 percent); 20 percent expressed moderate satisfaction, and only 2.2 percent had minimal satisfaction.

A tropical plant commonly used in the beverage industry, the seeds of the purple variant of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims var. edulis) are rich in linoleic acid and piceatannol, which have been shown to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. More prospective studies are needed to establish the safety and efficacy profile of this extract in comparison with the standard treatment of acne vulgaris.