Abstract
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