Neoculin as a new taste-modifying protein occurring in the fruit of Curculigo latifolia. (1/14)

A unique taste-modifying activity that converts the sense of sourness to the sense of sweetness occurs in the fruit of the plant Curculigo latifolia, intrinsic to West Malaysia. The active component, known as curculin, is a protein consisting of two identical subunits. We have found a new taste-modifying protein, named neoculin, of the same origin. Both chemical analysis and cDNA cloning characterized neoculin as a heterodimeric protein consisting of an acidic, glycosylated subunit of 113 amino acid residues and a basic subunit that is the monomeric curculin itself.  (+info)

Recombinant curculin heterodimer exhibits taste-modifying and sweet-tasting activities. (2/14)

Curculin from Curculigo latifolia is a unique sweet protein that exhibits both sweet-tasting and taste-modifying activities. We isolated a gene that encodes a novel protein highly homologous to curculin. Using cDNAs of the previously known curculin (designated as curculin1) and the novel curculin isoform (curculin2), we produced a panel of homodimeric and heterodimeric recombinant curculins by Escherichia coli expression systems. It was revealed that sweet-tasting and taste-modifying activities were exhibited solely by the heterodimer of curculin1 and curculin2.  (+info)

Antioxidative phenols and phenolic glycosides from Curculigo orchioides. (3/14)

A new orcinol glucoside, orcinol-1-O-beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), was isolated from the rhizomes of Curculigo orchioides GAERTN., together with seven known compounds: orcinol glucoside (1), orcinol-1-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), curculigoside (4), curculigoside B (5), curculigoside C (6), 2,6-dimethoxyl benzoic acid (7), and syringic acid (8). The structures of these compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant activities of these isolated compounds were evaluated by colorimetric methods based on their scavenging effects on hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anion radicals, respectively. All the compounds showed potent antioxidative activities and the structure-activity relationship is discussed.  (+info)

Extracellular production of neoculin, a sweet-tasting heterodimeric protein with taste-modifying activity, by Aspergillus oryzae. (4/14)

Neoculin (NCL), a protein with sweetness approximately 500-fold that of sugar, can be utilized as a nonglycemic sweetener. It also has taste-modifying activity to convert sourness to sweetness. NCL is a heterodimer composed of an N-glycosylated acidic subunit (NAS) and a basic subunit (NBS), which are conjugated by disulfide bonds. For the production of recombinant NCL (rNCL) by Aspergillus oryzae, alpha-amylase with a KEX2 cleavage site, -K-R-, was fused upstream of each of NAS and NBS and the resulting fusion proteins were simultaneously expressed. For accurate and efficient cleavage of the fusion construct by KEX2-like protease, a triglycine motif was inserted after the KEX2 cleavage site. As NBS showed lower production efficiency than did NAS, a larger amount of the NBS expression plasmid than of NAS expression plasmid was introduced during cotransformation, resulting in successful production of rNCL in the culture medium. Moreover, to obtain a higher production yield of rNCL, the active form of hacA cDNA encoding a transcription factor that induces an unfolded protein response was cloned and expressed constitutively. This resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in the level of rNCL production (2.0 mg/liter). rNCL was purified by chromatography, and its NAS was found to be N-glycosylated as expected. The original sweetness and taste-modifying activity of rNCL were comparable to those of native NCL when confirmed by calcium imaging with human embryonic kidney cells expressing the human sweet taste receptor and by sensory tests.  (+info)

Curculin exhibits sweet-tasting and taste-modifying activities through its distinct molecular surfaces. (5/14)

Curculin isolated from Curculigo latifolia, a plant grown in Malaysia, has an intriguing property of modifying sour taste into sweet taste. In addition to this taste-modifying activity, curculin itself elicits a sweet taste. Although these activities have been attributed to the heterodimeric isoform and not homodimers of curculin, the underlying mechanisms for the dual action of this protein have been largely unknown. To identify critical sites for these activities, we performed a mutational and structural study of recombinant curculin. Based on the comparison of crystal structures of curculin homo- and heterodimers, a series of mutants was designed and subjected to tasting assays. Mapping of amino acid residues on the three-dimensional structure according to their mutational effects revealed that the curculin heterodimer exhibits sweet-tasting and taste-modifying activities through its partially overlapping but distinct molecular surfaces. These findings suggest that the two activities of the curculin heterodimer are expressed through its two different modes of interactions with the T1R2-T1R3 heterodimeric sweet taste receptor.  (+info)

Acid-induced sweetness of neoculin is ascribed to its pH-dependent agonistic-antagonistic interaction with human sweet taste receptor. (6/14)

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New acetylenic norlignan compounds from rhizomes of Curculigo crassifolia. (7/14)

Two pairs of diastereoisomeric acetylenic norlignan compounds with PhCH(OR(1))CH(OR(2))CH(2)C triple bond CPh skeleta: (1R, 2R)-1-O-methylnyasicoside (1) and (1S, 2R)-1-O-methylnyasicoside (2), and (1R, 2R)-crassifogenin D (3) and (1S, 2R)- crassifogenin D (4), were isolated from the ethanolic extract of rhizomes of Curculigo crassifolia. Compounds 3 and 4 are new and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence and comparisons with literature data.  (+info)

Curculigo orchioides: the black gold with numerous health benefits. (8/14)

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (family Amaryllidaceae) is an endangered rasayana herb which is popularly known as "Kali Musli". The plant is native to India, and holds a special position as a potent adaptogen and aphrodisiac in Ayurvedic system of medicine. It is an important ingredient of many Ayurvedic preparations and is considered to have aphrodisiac, immunostimulant, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anticancer and antidiabetic activities. Various chemical constituents like mucilage, phenolic glycosides, saponins and aliphatic compounds from the plant have been reported. The plant is also considered as an important component of various herbal preparations of the Chinese and Kampo medicine. The present review is an attempt to enumerate various biologically tested activities and evaluation of different phytochemicals present in this important medicinal plant.  (+info)

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