Curculigo

Curculigo
Curculigo orchioides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Hypoxidaceae
Genus: Curculigo
Gaertn. (1788)
Synonyms[1]
  • Aurota Raf. (1837)
  • Franquevillea Zoll. ex Miq. (1859)
  • Friedmannia Kocyan & Wiland (2016), nom. illeg.
  • Heliacme Ravenna (2003)
  • Hypoxidia F.Friedmann (1985)
  • Molineria Colla (1826)
  • Neofriedmannia Kocyan & Wiland (2017)

[2]Curculigo is a flowering plant genus in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1788. It is widespread across tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.[3][4]

Curculin is a sweet protein that was discovered and isolated in 1990 from the fruit of Curculigo latifolia,[5] a plant from Malaysia. Like miraculin, curculin exhibits taste-modifying activity; however, unlike miraculin, it also exhibits a sweet taste by itself. After consumption of curculin, water and sour solutions taste sweet. The plant is referred to locally as lembah or lumbah; English: 'weevil-wort'.[6]

  1. ^ Curculigo Gaertn. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  2. ^ Yousif, Ragheed Hussam, et al. "Exploring the Molecular Interactions between Neoculin and the Human Sweet Taste Receptors through Computational Approaches." Sains Malaysiana 49.3 (2020): 517-525. APA
  3. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. ^ Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 271 仙茅属 xian mao shu Curculigo Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 63. 1788.
  5. ^ Yamashita H, Theerasilp S, Aiuchi T, Nakaya K, Nakamura Y, Kurihara Y (September 1990). "Purification and complete amino acid sequence of a new type of sweet protein taste-modifying activity, curculin". J. Biol. Chem. 265 (26): 15770–5. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(18)55464-8. PMID 2394746.
  6. ^ Hean Chooi Ong (2004). Tumbuhan liar: khasiat ubatan & kegunaan lain. Utusan Publications. p. 24. ISBN 9676116300.