The research was carried out in yellow passion fruit plant (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa) grown under field conditions in Campos dos Goytacazes-RJ, Brazil, with the aim to evaluate the concentrations of rutin, vitexin, total flavonoids, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cl in leaves at different positions in the branch. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments: leaves 1 (the youngest) to 10 (the olderest) of the same branch, with four replicates. Leaf sampling was done in March 2004, and each sample consisted of 20 leaves from 20 plants. The total concentration of rutin, vitexin and total flavonoids varied in function of the position or age of leaves, being higher in youngest leaves or in the aplical region of the plant branches. The total flavonoids concentration decreased from leaf 1 to leaf 8 of the branch 24.4 and 14.9mg g-1 of dry matter, respectively. The concentrations of N, P, K and Zn were higher in the youngest leaf but the concentrations of Ca, Mg, B, Cl and Mn were lower. The concentrations of S and Fe did not vary with leaves positions in the branch.
Passiflora edulis Sims; mineral nutrition; rutin; vitexin
