Synsepalum dulcificum
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fedff097c7845900498 |
| Scientific name | Synsepalum dulcificum |
| Authority | (Schumach. & Thonn.) Daniell |
| First published in | Pharm. J. Trans. 11: 446 (1852) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Fresh berries (miracle fruit)
- Freeze‑dried powder
- Concentrated aqueous extract (liquid)
- Dried fruit chips
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- The fruit or its extract is used as a natural flavor enhancer that makes sour or acidic foods taste sweet. It is incorporated into confectionery such as chewing‑gum and hard candy, into dairy products including ice‑cream, yogurt and smoothies, and into beverages ranging from soft drinks and cocktails to fruit juices and vinegar‑based drinks. Because the effect is temporary, the products are marketed as “taste‑modifying” rather than as sugar substitutes.
Scientific/model organism:
- Synsepalum dulcificum is a model species for studying taste‑modifying proteins. Its genome has been sequenced and is used as a reference for transcriptomic analysis of miraculin expression. The purified protein is employed in cellular assays of sweet‑taste receptors and in biochemistry to investigate protein‑receptor interactions. Community databases host sequencing data and protocols for recombinant production of miraculin.
Properties relevant to use:
- Miraculin is a 22 kDa glycoprotein that binds to the sweet‑taste receptor complex and alters its activation profile, particularly in acidic environments. It retains activity at low pH (≈2–4) but loses efficacy above pH 7, and it is heat‑labile, being denatured above ~60 °C. These pH‑dependent and temperature‑sensitive properties define the processing limits for food applications.
Standards and regulation:
- In the United States, miraculin is not listed on the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) roster and is regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as an unapproved food ingredient; products must be labeled accordingly. The European Union has not authorized miraculin as a novel food, requiring pre‑market safety assessment. Japan permits the use of miraculin as a flavoring under its Food Sanitation Law, subject to specific labeling rules.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- The species is native to West Africa and is primarily harvested from wild trees in Ghana, Nigeria and neighboring countries. Over‑harvesting poses conservation concerns, and commercial cultivation is being promoted to meet demand. Fruit perishability dictates processing (freeze‑drying, concentration) to extend shelf‑life, which improves supply reliability while reducing post‑harvest loss.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Pouteria dulcifica | (Schumach. & Thonn.) Baehni | Candollea 9: 276 (1942) |
| Richardella dulcifica | (Schumach. & Thonn.) Baehni | Boissiera 11: 97 (1965) |
| Sideroxylon dulcificum | (Schumach. & Thonn.) A.DC. | Prodr. 8: 183 (1844) |
| Bakeriella dulcifica | Dubard | Ann. Mus. Colon. Marseille , sér. 2, 10: 28 (1912) |
| Bumelia dulcifica | Schumach. & Thonn. | Beskr. Guin. Pl. : 130 (1827) |
| Synsepalum glycydorum | Wernham | J. Bot. 55: 82 (1917) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | miraculous berry |
| English | miracle fruit |
| Spanish | richardella dulcifica |
| Spanish | fruta mágica |
| Spanish | fruta magica |
| Spanish | baya mágica |
| Spanish | pouteria dulcifica |
| Spanish | bakeriella dulcifica |
| Spanish | bumelia dulcifica |
| Spanish | sideroxylon dulcificum |
| Spanish | fruta milagrosa |
| Spanish | baya magica |
| Akan | asawa |
| Arabic | الفاكهة المعجزة |
| Catalan | fruit miracle |
| Danish | mirakelbær |
| Danish | mirakelfrugt |
| Danish | mirakelbær (plante) |
| German | sideroxylon dulcificum |
| German | miracle fruit |
| German | mirakelfrucht |
| German | wunderbeere |
| Estonian | magustav imemari |
| Persian | میراکل |
| French | fruit miracle |
| Hebrew | פרי הפלא |
| Croatian | miracolina |
| Italian | frutto miracoloso |
| Japanese | ミラクルベリー |
| Japanese | ミラクルフルーツ |
| Korean | 미라클프루트 |
| ln | mombungá |
| Malayalam | miracle fruit |
| Malayalam | മിറാക്കിൾ ഫ്രൂട്ട് |
| Malayalam | മിറക്കിൾ ഫ്രൂട്ട് |
| Norwegian Bokmål | mirakelbær |
| Norwegian Bokmål | sideroxylon dulcificum |
| Norwegian Bokmål | mirakelfrukt |
| Dutch | mirakelbes |
| Dutch | sideroxylon dulcificum |
| Dutch | wonderbes |
| Polish | synsepal słodki |
| Portuguese | fruta-milagrosa |
| Portuguese | fruta milagrosa |
| Russian | Магический фрукт |
| Somali | miraha mucjisada |
| Tamil | அற்புதப் பழம் |
| Thai | มิราเคิล |
| Vietnamese | thần kỳ (cây) |
| Vietnamese | cây thần kỳ |
| yi | וואונדער־פרוכט |
| Chinese | 變味果 |
| Chinese | 神秘果 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Nigeria
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Gabon
- Zaïre
-
West Tropical Africa
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
-
Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000318142 |
| UNII | 4B4S74M66K |
| USDA Plants | SYDU |
| Tropicos | 28700443 |
| INPN | 447605 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:789924-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-199113 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 208039 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 3743 |
| IUCN Red List | 87719610 |
| IPNI | 789924-1 |
| iNaturalist | 426748 |
| GBIF | 2886039 |
| Freebase | /m/0czb6sl |
| EOL | 1149984 |
| USDA GRIN | 36056 |
| Wikipedia | Synsepalum_dulcificum |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives | |||||
| 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 135 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C(=O)O)O | 138.12 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives | |||||
| Syringic Acid | 10742 | Click to see | 198.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Methoxybenzoic acids and derivatives / M-methoxybenzoic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Vanillic Acid | 8468 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C(=O)O)O | 168.15 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Methoxybenzoic acids and derivatives / P-methoxybenzoic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Isovanillic Acid | 12575 | Click to see | 168.15 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / p-Hydroxybenzoic acid esters / p-Hydroxybenzoic acid alkyl esters | |||||
| Methylparaben | 7456 | Click to see | 152.15 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| > Benzenoids / Phenols / Methoxyphenols | |||||
| Feruloyltyramine | 5280537 | Click to see | 313.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids | |||||
| 2-(3-Hydroxy-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecyl)-3,5,6-trimethylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione | 24205 | Click to see | 446.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| Tocopherol quinone | 2734086 | Click to see | 446.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Lup-20(29)-en-3-ol, (3beta)- | 521518 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| Lup-20(29)-en-3-one | 323075 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(=O)C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)C)C | 424.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| Lup-20(29)-en-3beta-ol, acetate | 323074 | Click to see | 468.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| Lupenone | 92158 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(=O)C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)C)C | 424.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| Lupeol | 259846 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| Lupeol Acetate | 92157 | Click to see | 468.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 122544 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 86821 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| Stigmasterol | 5280794 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9658-6 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Lactones / Beta propiolactones | |||||
| (R)-4-Hydroxyoxetan-2-one | 133613436 | Click to see C1C(OC1=O)O | 88.06 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2010.482934 |
| 4-Hydroxyoxetan-2-one | 59077943 | Click to see | 88.06 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2010.482934 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives | |||||
| (E)-3-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-N-(2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)ethyl)-2-propenamide | 134313 | Click to see | 343.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| N-cis-Feruloyl tyramine | 6440659 | Click to see | 313.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| N-Feruloyl-3-methoxytyramine, (Z)- | 5322166 | Click to see | 343.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| N-feruloyltyramine; Moupinamide | 125213 | Click to see | 313.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
| N-trans-feruloylmethoxytyramine | 5352115 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)CCNC(=O)C=CC2=CC(=C(C=C2)O)OC)O | 343.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9639-9 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |