Pentadin, a
sweet-tasting protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
, was discovered and isolated in 1989, in the fruit of
Oubli (''
Pentadiplandra brazzeana'' ), a climbing shrub growing in some tropical countries of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
.
The fruit has been consumed by the apes and the natives for a long time. The berries of the plant were incredibly sweet African locals call them "j'oublie" (French for "I forget") because their taste helps nursing infants forget their mothers' milk.
Pentadin, with
brazzein discovered in 1994, are the 2 sweet-tasting proteins discovered in this African fruit.
Pentadin molecular weight estimated to be 12
kDa.
[ It is reported to be 500 times sweeter than ]sucrose
Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula .
For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refine ...
on a weight basis, with its sweetness having a slow onset and decline similar to monellin and thaumatin. However, pentadin's sweetness profile is closer to monellin than to thaumatin.[
There are six sweet-tasting proteins - pentadin, thaumatin, monellin, mabinlin, brazzein, and curculin - that are all from isolated plants in tropical forests. They show no similarities in a structural or homologous sequence aspect.
]
Uses
The six sweet-tasting proteins can be used as a natural low-calorie sweetener to replace certain sugars. They are also good for the response of insulin in people who are diabetic.
See also
* Brazzein
* Mabinlin
* Monellin
* Thaumatin
References
Sugar substitutes
Proteins
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