Medicine Newbie: Bioactive Natural Products

Thursday 24 May 2012

Bioactive Natural Products

This is a past conference (last year) on Traditional Medicine
http://www.amdi.usm.edu.my/contramed/TentativeProgram.aspx

Jarum mas
http://wannura.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/jarum-mas-witchweed-striga-asiatica/jarum-mas/
http://mezanna11.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/pokok-jarum-mas/
http://fazlisyam.com/2011/04/30/pokok-jarum-mas/
http://alamallah.blogspot.com/2011/03/bunga-buluh-perindu-jarum-mas.html

Miraculin

Modified from Dr Abdul Ghani Hussain @ Pak Din in Facebook:

Dalam buahnya ada compound yang diberi nama miraculin. Ia bertindak mengalih rasa masam kepada manis [taste modifying substance]. Didapati kesan ini hanya terjadi di dalam acidic media. Kalau cuka pun akan terasa manis juga.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/100705113390880/

Further research is being conducted at the University of Tokyo using a system of cultured cells that allowed the testing of human taste receptors at various pH values to uncover the mechanism. As already known miraculin binds strongly to the sweet taste receptors on our tongues; however, it does not activate receptors at neutral pH. Once acid is introduced, the miraculin protein changes shape in such a way that it turns on the sweet receptors it is bound to, causing an ultra-sweet sensation without affecting other flavors tasted. Once the acidic food is swallowed, miraculin returns to its inactive shape until the next acidic food comes along. This can continue for about an hour while the miraculin protein is still bound to the taste receptor. Miraculin in Wikipedia

Read more about Miraculin

African botanicals: Some of the botanical materials include Griffonia simplicifolia seeds containing 5-Hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP) used for depression and weight loss; Pycnanthus angolensis nuts containing kombo butter for myristic oleate as an anti-inflammatory agent and Richardella dulcifica berries containing taste-masking agent, Miraculin. http://www.miraculin.com/

The sweet red berry is known to scientists as Synsepalum dulcificum, and is popularly called the miracle fruit. It is sweet and contains sweet protein molecules (glycoproteins). According to the Center for Smell and Taste at the University of Florida, the berry is a native of West Africa and was introduced in the Americas, late in the eighteenth century. Synsepalum dulcificum contains a protein called miraculin which produces an altered sense of taste. What happens is that when this protein is linked to the tastebuds in the mouth, it acts as an inducer of sweetness when the tastebuds come into contact with food acids. This effect lasts an hour at most and then fades. http://www.miracleberrypill.org/miracle-fruit/miraculin