Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcifcum) is a red berry native to West Africa. This fruit is well known for its ability to make sour foods taste sweet. The reason is because it contains a protein called miraculin. Miraculin is able to bind to the taste buds on the tongue and stimulate the sweet receptors to surpress the sour receptors. Therefore, after the fruit is consumed, the tongue will treat acids as if they are sugars. This effect usually lasts for about an hour and during this time, lemons and limes will taste like candy. Miracle fruit is quite expensive because one single berry can be two dollars or more.
See: http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/perception/flavor-tripping1.htm
Posted by Chinh Ngo
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I find it interesting how we can relate chemistry to different aspects of our life. Often times we take for granted certain things we feel everyday, we don't notice how sensitive we are to our environment. Miraculin is an example of this, and how a single protein can make us perceive the world in a completely different way just by blocking the nervous receptors for the sour taste. It is interesting to know that many of the things we feel everyday are just the result of our nervous system responding and interpreting the signals we receive from the environment. This signals release chemicals that let us label different aspects of our sorroundings and environment with which we interact. Not only do we depend on chemicals on our modern world, but we also depend on them in a personal and intimate level to FEEL the world around us.
ReplyDeleteIts also interesting to think how chemistry can so easily affect our everyday lives without us even realizing it. For all we know, this fruit could become a new diet fad or a new ingredient for restaurants, and those consuming it would most likely not understand the science behind how the fruit makes sour taste sweet. If the price of this miracle fruit goes down, I would predict that people will be using it in many inventive and interesting ways, all because of blocked receptors.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that they call it "miracle" fruit, just because it inhibits the taste receptors for acids. My point is, it could be potentially problematic if we ingested any strong acid unintentionally and not realize it in time due to this fruit. That could be very harmful, and not a "miracle"...
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