The Berry That Changes Your Taste
In short: Miracle fruit contains miraculin, a tasteless protein that can make sour foods taste sweet; researchers propose it sits on the human sweet receptor as a blocker and turns into an activator when acid arrives, though how acid triggers it is still described as largely unexplored.
A 1:49 short film in the series “Strange Biology”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: Current Nutrition Reports (Springer), review by Griffith University authors, hosted on PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine), “Miracle Fruit, a Potential Taste-modifier to Improve Food Preferences: A Review”; Heliyon (Elsevier), hosted on PubMed Central by the US National Library of Medicine; review by Akinmoladun, Adetuyi, Komolafe and Oguntibeju, 2020, “Nutritional benefits, phytochemical constituents, ethnomedicinal uses and biological properties of Miracle fruit plant (Synsepalum dulcificum Shumach. & Thonn. Daniell)”; Nature (Springer Nature), “Mechanism of the Action of Taste-modifying Protein”; Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio, Springer Nature), “Intracellular acidification is required for full activation of the sweet taste receptor by miraculin”; Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (Lipatova & Campolattaro, Christopher Newport University), hosted on PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine, “The Miracle Fruit: An Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise in Taste Sensation and Perception”; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), via PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine), “Human sweet taste receptor mediates acid-induced sweetness of miraculin - PMC”; Foods (MDPI journal), hosted on PubMed Central by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Consumer Likings of Different Miracle Fruit Products on Different Sour Foods”; Springer Nature (Current Nutrition Reports), review article by Diyapaththugama et al., published 3 October 2024, “Miracle Fruit, a Potential Taste-modifier to Improve Food Preferences: A Review”; Bioengineered (Taylor & Francis), via PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Bioprospecting and biotechnological insights into sweet-tasting proteins by microbial hosts―a review”; European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal, via PubMed Central / U.S. National Library of Medicine), “Safety of dried fruits of Synsepalum dulcificum as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283”; Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland (FSA Research and Evidence), “Safety Assessment of Dried Miracle Berry (_Synsepalum Dulcificum_) as a Novel Food for Use in Food and Food Supplements (RP1351)”.
Sources used in this film
- Current Nutrition Reports (Springer), review by Griffith University authors, hosted on PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine) — Miracle Fruit, a Potential Taste-modifier to Improve Food Preferences: A Review · View →
- Heliyon (Elsevier), hosted on PubMed Central by the US National Library of Medicine; review by Akinmoladun, Adetuyi, Komolafe and Oguntibeju, 2020 — Nutritional benefits, phytochemical constituents, ethnomedicinal uses and biological properties of Miracle fruit plant (Synsepalum dulcificum Shumach. & Thonn. Daniell) · View →
- Nature (Springer Nature) — Mechanism of the Action of Taste-modifying Protein · View →
- Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio, Springer Nature) — Intracellular acidification is required for full activation of the sweet taste receptor by miraculin · View →
- Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (Lipatova & Campolattaro, Christopher Newport University), hosted on PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine — The Miracle Fruit: An Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise in Taste Sensation and Perception · View →
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), via PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine) — Human sweet taste receptor mediates acid-induced sweetness of miraculin - PMC · View →
- Foods (MDPI journal), hosted on PubMed Central by the U.S. National Library of Medicine — Consumer Likings of Different Miracle Fruit Products on Different Sour Foods · View →
- Springer Nature (Current Nutrition Reports), review article by Diyapaththugama et al., published 3 October 2024 — Miracle Fruit, a Potential Taste-modifier to Improve Food Preferences: A Review · View →
- Bioengineered (Taylor & Francis), via PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine — Bioprospecting and biotechnological insights into sweet-tasting proteins by microbial hosts―a review · View →
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal, via PubMed Central / U.S. National Library of Medicine) — Safety of dried fruits of Synsepalum dulcificum as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 · View →
- Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland (FSA Research and Evidence) — Safety Assessment of Dried Miracle Berry (_Synsepalum Dulcificum_) as a Novel Food for Use in Food and Food Supplements (RP1351) · View →
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Current Nutrition Reports (Springer), review by Griffith University authors, hosted on PubMed Central (US National Libra: Miracle Fruit, a Potential Taste-modifier to Improve Food Preferences: A Review
- Also: Heliyon (Elsevier), hosted on PubMed Central by the US National Library of Medicine; review by Akinmoladun, Adetuyi, Kom: Nutritional benefits, phytochemical constituents, ethnomedicinal uses and biological properties of Miracle fruit plant (Synsepalum dulcificum Shumach. & Thonn. Daniell)
- Also: Nature (Springer Nature): Mechanism of the Action of Taste-modifying Protein
- Also: Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio, Springer Nature): Intracellular acidification is required for full activation of the sweet taste receptor by miraculin
- Also: Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (Lipatova & Campolattaro, Christopher Newport University), hosted on Pub: The Miracle Fruit: An Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise in Taste Sensation and Perception
- Also: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), via PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine): Human sweet taste receptor mediates acid-induced sweetness of miraculin - PMC
- Also: Foods (MDPI journal), hosted on PubMed Central by the U.S. National Library of Medicine: Consumer Likings of Different Miracle Fruit Products on Different Sour Foods
- Also: Springer Nature (Current Nutrition Reports), review article by Diyapaththugama et al., published 3 October 2024: Miracle Fruit, a Potential Taste-modifier to Improve Food Preferences: A Review
- Also: Bioengineered (Taylor & Francis), via PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine: Bioprospecting and biotechnological insights into sweet-tasting proteins by microbial hosts―a review
- Also: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal, via PubMed Central / U.S. National Library of Medicine): Safety of dried fruits of Synsepalum dulcificum as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
- Also: Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland (FSA Research and Evidence): Safety Assessment of Dried Miracle Berry (_Synsepalum Dulcificum_) as a Novel Food for Use in Food and Food Supplements (RP1351)
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/the-berry-that-changes-your-taste.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Nature · Latest · A–Z · All topics
