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Sweetening agents of plant origin: Phenylpropanoid constituents of seven sweet-tasting plants

Compuestos Edulcorantes de Origen Vegetal: Constituyentes Fenilpropanoides de Siete Plantas con Sabor Dulce

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Abstract

Field inquiries and organoleptic tests for sweet taste led to the procurement of samples ofPiper marginatum (dried leaves),Tagetes filicifolia (fresh whole plants),Osmorhiza longistylis (fresh roots),Foeniculum vulgare (fresh aerial parts),Myrrhis odorata (fresh whole plants),Ocimum basilicum (fresh aerial parts), andIllicium verum (dried fruits). Follow-up laboratory studies of the leaves ofPiper marginatum demonstrated that trans-anethole (a phenylpropanoid) was the major sweet constituent of this species. In the remaining six species, GC/MS analysis also enabled us to demonstrate that sweetness is attributable, in each case, to the presence of high concentrations of the phenylpropanoids, trans-anethole and estragole, either alone or in combination.

Resumen

Entrevistas y busqueda en el campo seguidas por pruebas organolépticas para detectar el sabor dulce nos dirigieron a la adquisición de muestras dePiper marginatum (hojas secas),Tagetes filicifolia (plantas enteras secas), Osmorhiza longistylis (raices frescas),Foeniculum vulgare (partes aéreas frescas),Myrrhis odorata (plantas enteras frescas),Ocimum basilicum (partes aéreas frescas), eIllicium verum (frutas secas). Estudios de laboratorio posterioresde las hojas dePiper marginatum demostraron quetrans-anetol (un fenilpropanoide) fué el principio edulcorante mayor de esta especie. En las seis especies restantes, el análisis por medio de la cromatografía gaseosa y espectrometría de masa nos permitieron a demostrar que el sabor dulce se debe tambien, en cada caso, a la presencia de altas concentraciones de fenilpropanoides, a sabertrans-anetol y estragol, tanto sólo como en conjunto.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, Chicago, IL

    R. A. Hussain, J. M. Pezzuto, D. D. Soejarto & A. D. Kinghorn

  2. Herbario, Museo Nacional, San José, Costa Rica

    L. J. Poveda

Authors
  1. R. A. Hussain
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  2. L. J. Poveda
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  3. J. M. Pezzuto
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  4. D. D. Soejarto
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  5. A. D. Kinghorn
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Additional information

Part 18 in the series “Potential sweetening agents of plant origin.” For part 17, see Fullas et al. (1989).

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Hussain, R.A., Poveda, L.J., Pezzuto, J.M. et al. Sweetening agents of plant origin: Phenylpropanoid constituents of seven sweet-tasting plants. Econ Bot 44, 174–182 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860485

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860485

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