Thaumatococcus Daniellii Research Articles

Effect of Steaming of Beans Pudding on the Phytochemical Composition of Thaumatococcus Daniellii Wrapper

The present study investigated the phytochemical analysis of Thaumatococcus daniellii leaves used as bean pudding wrapper in most part of Nigeria. The leaves were analysed before and after usage. The phytochemical components in the leaves were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using standard methods. The toxicity of the leave extracts was determined by brine shrimp lethality assay and this recorded zero mortality. The TLC of the extracts was carried out and the chromatogram revealed differences in the number of components present in the fresh and used leaves. The amount of phytochemicals detected in the fresh leaves was higher than that of the used leaves e.g. 22.50% saponin was obtained in the methanol extract of the fresh leaf and 12.75% for used leaf. Tanin 8% in fresh leaf and 1.30% in used leaf of the methanol extracts. Some metabolites must have been absorbed by the bean pudding and some might have gone into the steam water.

Proximate Composition, Functional and Sensory Properties of Bambara Nut (Voandzeia subterranean), Cassava (Manihot esculentus) and Soybean (Glycine max) Flour Blends for “Akpekpa” Production

Bambara nut (Voandzeia substerranean L.), cassava (Manihot esculenta) and soybean (Glycine max) flour blends were used in producing “akpekpa” which is similar to “okpa” wrapped in Thaumatococcus daniellii leaves (Ikya-kon). The blends at different percentages (Sample A = 100% Bambara nut flour, B = 80% Bambara nut flour + 20% cassava flour, C = 80% Bambara nut flour + 20% soyflour and D = 70% Bambara nut flour + 15% cassava flour + 15% s Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture Makurdi, Nigeria oyflour) were studied for proximate composition, functional and sensory properties of the akpekpa made from the flours. The result of the proximate composition showed significant difference (P­­­­­­< 0.05) in carbohydrate (62.87 – 67.88), fat (4.04 – 5.75), moisture (8.95 – 10.01) and protein (14.25 – 16.25), while ash (3.49 – 3.50) and fibre (1.40 – 1.45), showed no significant difference between the samples, measured in percentages. The result of functional properties also showed significant difference (P­­­­­­< 0.05) in foaming capacity (11.77 – 23.77ml/g) and water absorption capacity (1.93 – 2.15g/g), while bulk density (0.69 – 0.71g/cm3), oil absorption capacity (2.26 – 2.73g/g) and gelation concentration (4.00% w/v) showed no significant difference between the samples. The result for sensory characteristics also showed significant differences at (P­­­­­­< 0.05) in taste (6.27 – 7.73), flavor (6.20 – 7.80), colour (7.00 – 7.93) and general acceptability (6.47 – 7.80), while there was no significant difference in texture (6.67 – 7.13) between the samples. From the sensory scores, akpekpa produced from 80% Bambara nut, 20% cassava flour and 80% Bambara nut , 20% soy flour were well accepted. The supplementation of bambara nut flour with 20% cassava flour was most acceptable followed by that with 20% soyflour.

PIXE analysis of Thaumatococcus danielli in Osun State of Nigeria

Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique was employed for the determination of elemental compositions of Thaumatococcus danielli (T. danielli) {Marantaceae} (Benn.) Benth [miraculous berry] in Osun State of Nigeria. The objective is to show the usefulness of T. danielli and especially the beneficial effects of the mineral concentrations from the leaves and fruits of T. danielli. The results show the detection of seventeen elements at different concentrations, and their beneficial effects to humans were discussed.

Volatile Constituents, Antioxidant and Insecticidal Activities of Essential Oil from the Leaves of Thaumatococcus Danielli (Benn.) Benth. From Nigeria

The volatile constituents from the leaf oil of Thaumatococcus danielli (Benn.) Benth. growing in Nigeria was studied by GC and GC-MS. Twenty-one constituents were characterized representing 95.8% of the total oil. The major components of the oil were octadecamethyl cyclononasiloxane (48.3%), phytol (12.9%) and 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (9.3%). The antioxidant activity of the oil (10–50 mg/mL) was evaluated by measurement of 1,1-diphenylpicryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical, metal chelating and nitric oxide radical methods. The essential oil showed no metal chelating activity, but, displayed significant antioxidant activity against 1,1diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide radicals with IC50 values of 16.32 and 24.68 mg/mL, respectively, compared to synthetic antioxidants: butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol with (IC50 ≤ 17.96 mg/ mL). The insecticidal activity was assayed against Sitophilus zeamais and the result showed LC50 value of 345.2 mg/mL after 72 H.

Volatile Constituents, Antioxidant and Insecticidal Activities of Essential Oil from the Leaves of Thaumatococcus Danielli (Benn.) Benth. From Nigeria

Volatile Constituents, Antioxidant and Insecticidal Activities of Essential Oil from the Leaves of Thaumatococcus Danielli (Benn.) Benth. From Nigeria

Transgenic tomato plants as supersweet protein thaumatin II producers

Yalf tomato plants have been transformed with a gene for thaumatin II from Thaumatococcus daniellii Benth. The nucleotide sequence for thaumatin II cDNA was cloned in the pBI121 vector under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus. Expression of the thaumatin II gene was detected in all of the studied transgenic lines. A quantitative estimation of the thaumatin II accumulation in fruits was performed by ELISA. The highest content of thaumatin in transgenic tomato fruits (line 91) was 46.4 ± 10.5 μg/mg of total soluble protein (4.6%). In the other studied lines, the thaumatin content ranged from 17.6 ± 6.1 to 41.3 ± 12.3 μg/mg of total soluble protein (1.8–4.1%). The fruits of transgenic plants had a well-defined sweet taste with a long aftertaste typical of thaumatin II. Transgenic tomato lines with high expression levels can be potentially used as producers of thaumatin for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Sensorial Characteristics of a Senescent Plantain Empiric Dish (Dockounou) Produced in Côte d’Ivoire

Dockounou, a plantain derivate dish, is proposed on Côte d’Ivoire markets, under various sensorial qualities. Nevertheless, most of time, consumers’ demands are not satisfied. Hence, a survey was undertaken in Abidjan to determine dockounou consumers’ preferential sensorial criteria, for further improvements. 1250 respondents of both genre, from three age categories (junior, major and senior), literates or not and belonging to all the ethnic groups of Côte d’Ivoire, were interviewed through the whole communes. Among the eight sensorial criteria of dockounou, the majority of respondents identified packaging (98.16%), structure (94.47%), taste (91.11%) and the color (80.13%) as the first essential sensorial criteria for the choice of dockounou. They were followed by the texture (74.29%), flavor (68.43%), cooking mode (66.59%) and the type of flour (59.05%). The specific sensorial characteristics most of the respondents expected, independently to the socio-demographic variables, were <em>Thaumatococcus daniellii</em> leaf (55.59%) as packaging, smooth structure (58.44%), sweet-spiced taste (80.65%), brown color (67.32%), hard texture (57.31%), plantain flavor (73.96%), water cooking (48.08%) and maize (38.24%) and rice (37.09%) flours. However, these sensorial characteristics choices were significantly influenced by the ethnic and the age category more than the genre and the education.<br />

Plant bioreactors – the taste of sweet success

Thaumatins are intensely sweet proteins (3000 times sweeter than the same weight of sucrose) that are found in the arils of the tropical perennial plant Thaumatococcus daniellii Benth and are produced commercially by aqueous extraction from the fruits. The proteins are widely used as sweeteners and flavor enhancers in the food industry, and the European Food Safety Association (EFSA) has recently confirmed that their use as feed additive (1 to 5 mg/kg complete feed) is safe for all animal species. Given the large market for sweeteners and flavor enhancers, thaumatins could become increasingly important in the food and feed additives sector. In this issue of Biotechnology Journal, a study examines the production of thaumatin in tobacco hairy root cultures.

Morphological and AFLP diversity in Thaumatococcus daniellii, the source of the protein sweetener thaumatin

Thaumatococcus daniellii is a perennial African wild edible plant. Fruit arils from natural populations are the source of the protein sweetener, thaumatin. There are relatively few documented examples of its cultivation, however it has great potential as an intercrop for cultivation under rubber or cocoa. Across the species range there is notable diversity in leaf and fruit morphology. In this study, T. daniellii populations from four provenances in Ghana and Cameroon (separated by the Dahomey Gap) were compared for leaf and fruit morphology in situ and in an experiment using plants grown from sampled rhizomes planted under rubber in a single location in Cameroon. When collected rhizomes from four provenances were planted at one location, the samples from the local provenance produced the largest plants and fruits, and there was less morphological variation between samples from different provenances than was recorded in situ. In situ morphological differences were notable between north–south separated provenances in each country. Fruit collected in situ was analysed for aril thaumatin content and significant variation was found between provenances (1.08–2.00%). Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used to assess genetic diversity among the four provenances and 54% of loci were polymorphic. Cluster analysis of AFLP data separated samples of T. daniellii according to geographical origin. Maximum genetic diversity was found between provenances separated across the Dahomey Gap.

Biological Evaluation of Thaumatococcus danielli Waste Protein

Potential application of T. danielli waste as a raw material in livestock feed formulation had been suggested in earlier reports. In this study, the nutritional quality of protein in Thaumatococcus danielli seed and pericarp was evaluated using 16 male waster rats (20-25 g). The animals were randomly assigned to 4 groups and were maintained on four isocaloric diets, namely: casein, seed, pericarp and nitrogen-free diets, for 10 days. Daily weight gain and feed intake over the last 7 days were measured. Feacal, carcass, and feed nitrogen contents were also determined at the end of the feeding trial. Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), Net Protein Retention (NPR), Biological Value (BV), Net Protein Utilization (NPU) and True Digestibility (TD), were thereafter calculated. Mean weight gain was significantly lower (p>0.05) in the rats fed the T. danielli pericarp feed (-2.60±0.80 g) than those placed on the seed (5.46±0.71 g). PER (-2.11±0.09); TD (59.37±1.72%); BV (16.96±1.61%); NPU (76.13±1.01%); and NPR (2.53±0.22) values were also significantly lower (p 0.05) in the BV, PER, and NPU values between the casein based and the T. danielli based diets. The NPR value of the seed was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to the casein diet.

Rhinitis induced to mace

Results Skin prick test to mace and ginger (10%) were positive and specific IgE to Pru p3 and mace were detected. Double-blind, placebocontrolled, oral food challenge (DBPCFC) with this spice showed rhinitis in few minutes and was negative to ginger. Through electrophoresis of peach, Pru p3, mace and ginger extracts were identified and the corresponding proteins purified and characterized as allergens. Mace extract was recognized by both anti-Pru p3 and antiTLPs antibodies, however immunoblotting study with patient sample demostrated proteins bands immunodetection in this extract with similar molecular weight to peach thaumatins. Finally skin prick tests with these purified allergens (Pru p 2.1 y 2.2) were positive. Conclusion Thaumatin-like proteins are a new family of pollen and fruit allergens. Because of the sequence homologies between PR-5 proteins and thaumatin, an intensely sweet tasting protein isolated from the fruits of the West African rain forest shrub Thaumatococcus daniellii, these molecules are referred to as thaumatin-like proteins (TLP’s). To our knowledge, this is the first report on the implication of TLPÂ s in spice allergy. Unfortunately, information on fundamental aspects of the TLP family remains quite limited, this means that challenging fundamental and applied studies need to be conducted to characterize TLP’s significance and clinical involvement.

Soluble Nutrient Production During Fermentation of Three Melon Varieties in the Leaves of Musa spp, Thaumatococcus danielli and Carica papaya

The amount of soluble nutrient production (soluble sugars and free amino acids) in three varieties of melon seeds, Citrullus colocynthis (A), Cucumis melo (B) and Cucumeropsis mannii (C) during fermentation in Musa spp (M), Thaumatococcus danielli (D) and Carica papaya (P) leaves were investigated. Proximate compositions of the three varieties revealed that they were very rich in fat with variety C having the highest content (55.93%) while it was the least rich in protein (24.42%). In contrast to the fat composition, carbohydrate content was the least in all three varieties with variety B having the highest (16.31%) and A the least (7.86%). Variety A, however, was the richest in protein (37.14%) while C had the lowest value (24.42%). Fermentation increased the amounts of free amino acids in all varieties of melon and in all leaf types. Varieties fermented in Musa spp leaf gave the highest amounts with C having 275 ± 19.6 mg/g dry weight, B and A having 240 ± 19.6 mg/g and 155±9.8 mg/g respectively. Varieties fermented in Thaumatococcus danielli had higher retention levels of free amino acids than those fermented in Carica papaya . Fermentation however decreased the total soluble sugar levels in all three varieties of melon and in all leaf types. On the average, varieties fermented in Musa spp gave highest retention levels of soluble sugars with C (720 ± 29.3 mg/g dry weight), B (567 ± 13.72 mg/g), A (295±9.8 mg/g). Enzymatic activities (amylase, proteinase and lipase) increased throughout fermentation in all varieties of melon and in all leaf types, with proteinase being the highest as observed in variety B (10.33 ± 1.67, 10.00 ± 1.96 and 9.67±1.5 mg tyrosine/min) for all leaves. Amylase activity followed the same trend (0.252 ± 0.03, 0.236 ± 0.02 and 0.224 ± 0.02 mg maltose/min). Lipase activity was highest in variety A (0.53 ± 0.003 mg oleic acid/min) than in B and C (0.48 ± 0.02 and 0.49 ± 0.002 mg/g) respectively. Of the three types of leaves used in the fermentation process, Musa spp and Thaumatococcus danielli were observed to serve as better materials for fermentation while melon varieties C and B were better suited for fermentation into condiment.

Editor's Choice

Clinical & Experimental AllergyVolume 40, Issue 9 p. 1289-1289 Free Access Editor's Choice The Editor takes a closer look at some of this month's articles First published: 04 August 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2222.2010.03588.xAboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Food allergy: risk and resolution Food allergy, particularly due to nuts, is an increasing problem with a big impact on quality of life for children and their parents. As the cohort of children with food allergy grows up it is becoming an increasing problem in adults as well. Although thankfully unusual considering how common food allergy has become, it is still an important and avoidable cause of death. Our reviews this week explore two important aspects of food allergy. The link with asthma and the conundrum of resolution and tolerance. For reasons that are not well understood, poorly controlled asthma is thought to be an important risk factor for severe reactions including death from food allergy. Gillman and Douglas (pp. 1295–1302) explore the evidence and reasons for this link and emphasise the importance of recognition and optimal control of asthma in people with food allergy. Every parent wants to know how likely it is that their child will grow out of their food allergy and whether anything can be done to cure it. A topical issue in nut allergy is the extent to which it is possible to induce tolerance by oral or sublingual immunotherapy. Byrne et al (pp. 1303–1311) explore this issue placing it in the overall context of resolution of nut allergy. They describe the factors that relate to resolution, but point out that there is no biomarker and that tolerance needs to be confirmed with a food challenge. They discuss the exciting possibility that immunotherapy may help patients with nut allergy, but emphasise that this is still an experimental procedure which requires more data before its introduction into routine clinical practice can be recommended. Non-atopic allergy: set the light chains free [ Adapted by the authors from Fig.1 in [2] ] Some patients with apparently typical allergic symptoms to common allergens have negative skin prick tests and normal levels of specific IgE in the peripheral blood. Several explanations have been advanced for this observation including the production of local IgE [1]. However Redegeld and colleagues in an opinion article last year advanced the idea that the allergic symptoms could be due to free light chains triggering mast cell degranulation in the tissue [2]. In this issue they have provided further evidence for this argument by showing in a mouse model of food allergy to whey protein that under certain conditions free light chains could mediate the allergic effects usually attributed to IgE dependent mechanisms. The next challenge is to block these responses in the clinic and see if that proves beneficial. Peach allergy: a new thaumatin like protein as a major allergen [ Thaumatococcus danielli ] Peach allergy is of considerable importance in the Mediterranean area. Cross reactivity between peach allergy and other fruits is common and thought to be due principally to the lipid transfer protein Pru p 3. However a number of other plant protein families can cause cross-sensitisation including members of the thaumatin like protein family. Thaumatin is a sweet-tasting protein derived from Thaumatococcus daniellii, a west African forest shrub. Proteins with close sequence homology are called thaumatin-like proteins (TLP). TLPs are one member of a wide group of functionally, but not structurally related host defence proteins called pathogenesis-related proteins. TLPs are thought to be particularly important in host defence against fungi. They are a common source of allergens [3]. Palacin et al (pp. 1422–1430) have isolated three isoforms of a TLP from peach and demonstrated that this is a major allergen with about 50% of people with peach allergy showing sensitisation. It is therefore a potentially significant source of cross-reactivity between peach and other fruits. One more for the allergen chip.

Phytochemistry and anti-microbial evaluation of Thaumatococcus danielli, Benn. (Benth.) leaves

Leaves of T. danielli are mostly used as food wrappers, and for thatching roofs in the rural and sub-urban areas of south-western Nigeria. Phytochemistry of the leaf extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, anthraquinones, cardenolides and steroidal nucleuscompounds. Thin layer chromatography of the leaf extracts confirmed the presence of these secondary metabolites. Antimicrobial screening of the leaf extract against selected microbes associated with food spoilage revealed a lack of activity against these microbes; viz; Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysentarieae, Shigella sp, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus lactis, Leuconostoc sp, Pediococcus cerevisae, Bacilluscereus, Candida krusei, candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Trichoderma konigii. Aromatic (sweet smelling) oil was extracted from the leaves of the plant, which likely accounts for the enhanced flavour associated with foods wrapped with these leaves.

Expression pattern of the pre-prothaumatin II gene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter in transgenic cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) flower buds and fruits

Thaumatin II is an extremely sweet-tasting protein produced by fruits of the West African shrub Thaumatococcus daniellii Benth, so it can be used in biotechnology to improve the tastes of various plant products. This study is concerned with the spatial and temporal aspects of expression of the 35S-pre-prothaumatin II chimeric gene in flower buds and fruits of transgenic cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) line 225. The activity of the 35S promoter in organs of line 225 was compared with its activity in 2 other transgenic lines. The accumulation of recombinant thaumatin varied spatially in flower bud tissues of transgenic lines. We found that these differences in the spatial accumulation of transgenic protein concerned the ovary of female buds and the perianth of male buds. In contrast to flower parts, recombinant thaumatin was found in nearly all parts of the young fruit from the transgenic plants. The pre-prothaumatin II gene expression was detected at a very early developmental stage in male buds, and its pattern was rather conserved as the buds aged. The expression of the transgene was also detected in vascular tissues of examined organs but was undetectable in pollen grains, in agreement with the generally held view that the CaMV 35S promoter is virtually silent in pollen. Immunocytochemical analyses of sections of control organs revealed endogenous homolog(s) of thaumatin when using polyclonal antisera, but not when using monoclonal antibodies for recombinant thaumatin detection in transgenic cucumber.

Computational analysis of thaumatin-II allergenicity and prediction of antigenic elements of thaumatin-like family proteins

Thaumatin-II is an intense sweet tasting protein isolated from fruits of Thaumatococcus daniel lii. Thaumatin is a member of the pathogenesis-related protein family referred to as thaumatinlike proteins (TLPs). Expression of thaumatin-II in plants was associated with an enhanced resistance against pathogens. In addition, thaumatin was used to provide the sweet taste quality to plant products. Thus, TLP proteins have a potential application for improving plant stress resistance and taste qualities using the recombinant DNA technology. However, several members of the TLP family were characterized as food allergens. The allergenic properties of thaumatinII have not been characterized. In this study, a putative allergenicity of thaumatin-II was established using computational analysis of sequence similarity with known human allergens. Antigenicity analysis and multiple sequence alignment of related TLP sequences identified six putative allergenic epitopes. The residues Thr12, Leu74, Gln133 and Thr161 of thaumatin-II or equivalent residues of other TLPs were proposed as a target for mutagenesis aimed to develop protein isoforms with reduced allergenicity.

Copper co-crystallization and divalent metal salts cross-influence effect: A new optimization tool improving crystal morphology and diffraction quality

The effect of several metal cations (Cu 2+, Cd 2+, Co 2+, Ba 2+) was tested in attempts to improve crystallization and verify a newly discovered cross-crystallization alias cross-influence procedure (CIP) with two selected proteins; di-heme cytochrome c 4 from anaerobic purple sulphur bacterium Thiocapsa roseopersicina and sweet-tasting protein thaumatin from the African berry Thaumatococcus daniellii. Divalent cupric cations (Cu 2+) promoted the most dramatic improvement in crystal morphology, internal packing and diffraction quality. This investigation qualitatively established the influence of cupric cations on the crystal growth with use of CIP. The CIP procedure is based on using a set of additives included in additional droplets, effecting the same reservoir through slightly varying pH and vapour pressure of water over the neighbouring drop containing protein. It was found that influence of Cu 2+ ions produced evidently different outer morphology and internal packing of thaumatin crystals (hexagonal prism). Usually their shape is presented as a tetragonal bipyramids. In the case of cytochrome, the good diffractable crystals were obtained only by using CIP with metal-ion salts. Newly grown crystals (hexagonal prisms) of thaumatin and cytochrome displayed as the same tetragonal system with different unit cell parameters and diffracted up to 1.7 Å. From the analysis of copper influence and CIP effect, we propose that the copper addition with CIP provides useful technique to modify crystal morphology and improve diffraction quality.

Implications of Local Knowledge of the Ecology of a Wild Super Sweetener for Its Domestication and Commercialization in West and Central Africa

Abstract Despite its local use as a fiber and international trade in thaumatin, the intensely sweet protein derived from its fruit, little ecological information about Thaumatococcus daniellii (Benn.) Benth. is in the public domain. Here, we combine systematic studies of the local knowledge of plant collectors and cultivators in Ghana with a thorough evaluation of the plant's natural distribution in order to explore possibilities for increasing the contribution that it makes to sustaining rural livelihoods in West and Central Africa. The natural range goes well beyond where commercial collection and cultivation have been previously reported. Local knowledge was found to be detailed and explanatory. Its acquisition has refined our understanding of the ecology of the plant, although some significant gaps remain, particularly with respect to pollination. The market for thaumatin is ripe for expansion, and the plant has untapped potential as an intercrop for rubber and cocoa. Further domestication needs to be...

Thaumatin‐like proteins – a new family of pollen and fruit allergens

Thaumatin‐like proteins – a new family of pollen and fruit allergens

Modification of tomato taste in transgenic plants carrying a thaumatin gene from Thaumatococcus daniellii Benth

AbstractFruit taste is an important component of fruit quality, but its genetic basis is complex, making it difficult to alter by plant breeding. Thaumatin is a sweet‐tasting, flavour‐enhancing protein produced by fruits of the African plant Thaumatococcus daniellii Benth. Agrobac‐terium‐mediated transformation was used to produce two transgenic tomato lines expressing biologically active thaumatin in fruits. Transgenic tomato fruits from the T2 plant generation were sweeter than the controls and possessed a specific aftertaste as determined by sensory evaluation. These results demonstrate that transgenic expression of thaumatin could be useful for modifying tomato fruit taste, especially in breeding lines possessing poor fruit taste, such as those carrying a non‐ripening (nor) mutation.