Cucurbitacins in plant food

Gry, Jørn; Søborg, Inge; Andersson, Hans

doi:10.6027/tn2006-556

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…The most important trait selected during the domestication of the genus Cucurbita (squash) is the absence of cucurbitacins in the fruits (Navot et al, 1990 , Gry, 2006 ). We confirm here for C. argyrosperma that cucurbitacins were also selected out from the roots of domesticated varieties (Figure 1a ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of squash domestication on a belowground tritrophic interaction

Jaccard

Marguier

Arce

et al. 2022

Plant Enviro Interactions

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The domestication of plants has commonly resulted in the loss of plant defense metabolites, with important consequences for the plants' interactions with herbivores and their natural enemies. Squash domestication started 10′000 years ago and has led to the loss of cucurbitacins, which are highly toxic triterpenes. The banded cucumber beetle (Diabrotica balteata), a generalist herbivore, is adapted to feed on plants from the Cucurbitaceae and is known to sequester cucurbitacins, supposedly for its own defense. However, the evidence for this is inconclusive. In this study we tested the impact of squash domestication on the chemical protection of D. balteata larvae against a predatory rove beetle (Dalotia coriaria). We found that cucurbitacins do not defend the larvae against this common soil dwelling predator. In fact, D. balteata larvae were less attacked when they fed on cucurbitacin‐free roots of domesticated varieties compared to high‐cucurbitacin roots of wild plants. This study appears to be the first to look at the consequences of plant domestication on belowground tritrophic interactions. Our results challenge the generalized assumption that sequestered cucurbitacins protect this herbivore against natural enemies, and instead reveals an opposite effect that may be due to a tradeoff between coping with cucurbitacins and avoiding predation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of squash domestication on a belowground tritrophic interaction

Jaccard

Marguier

Arce

et al. 2022

Plant Enviro Interactions

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“…Nicotine is the main alkaloid in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and other tobacco species where it occurs at concentrations ranging from 2% to 8%; it is synthesised in the tobacco root from ornithine and/or arginine by way of putrescine (Hibi et al 1994). Low concentrations were also measured in other plants belonging to the family of Solanaceae, such as tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and potatoes (Andersson at al. 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nicotine determination in mushrooms by LC–MS/MS with preliminary studies on the impact of drying on nicotine formation

Cavalieri

Bolzoni

Bandini

2010

Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A

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A problem concerning significant amounts of nicotine in dried wild mushrooms (mainly Boletus edulis from China) has been reported to the European Commission. As a consequence, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed temporary maximum residue levels (MRLs) of 0.036 mg kg(-1) for fresh wild mushrooms and 1.17 mg kg(-1) for dried wild mushrooms (2.3 mg kg(-1) for dried ceps only). The EFSA also highlighted the necessity for a monitoring and testing programme to be launched by food business operators at the start of the 2009 harvest season. In the present study, a quick and sensitive analytical method for routine analysis of nicotine in fresh and dried mushrooms was developed and validated by a single-laboratory procedure. The method, which employs an LC-MS/MS system and (+/-)-nicotine-d(4) as internal standard, has a limit of quantification of 6 and 60 microg kg(-1) for fresh and dried product, respectively. Analyses of samples spiked with different levels of nicotine showed recoveries ranging from 107 to 122%, with relative standard deviations of 2.9-10.1% depending on the spiking level. The combined uncertainties, calculated at a low level for frozen (0.015 mg kg(-1)) and a high level for the dried (2 mg kg(-1)) matrix, were 13 and 10%, respectively. Application of the method to real samples of mushrooms purchased on the market or obtained from local producers showed nicotine levels ranging 0.01-0.04 and 0.1-4.5 mg kg(-1) in fresh/frozen and dried matrices, respectively. To establish reasons for the unexpectedly high levels of the nicotine in dried matrices, preliminary laboratory experiments involving drying mushrooms were performed under various conditions.

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“…As we observed a threshold concentration as low as 0.9 µM with cucurbitacin I, it appears safe to assume that zebra finch are well equipped to recognize cucurbitacins at biologically relevant concentrations. The rather low cucurbitacin I LD 50 -concentration of 5 mg/kg body weight observed for mice (Gry et al, 2006) would translate to 1.6 g of the fruits containing the highest cucurbitacin concentration for zebra finch, which weigh only about 12 g. This suggests the necessity for sensitive aversive reactions in zebra finch.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bitter taste receptors of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Kumar,

Redel,

Lang

et al. 2023

Front. Physiol.

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Despite the important role of bitter taste for the rejection of potentially harmful food sources, birds have long been suspected to exhibit inferior bitter tasting abilities. Although more recent reports on the bitter recognition spectra of several bird species have cast doubt about the validity of this assumption, the bitter taste of avian species is still an understudied field. Previously, we reported the bitter activation profiles of three zebra finch receptors Tas2r5, -r6, and –r7, which represent orthologs of a single chicken bitter taste receptor, Tas2r1. In order to get a better understanding of the bitter tasting capabilities of zebra finches, we selected another Tas2r gene of this species that is similar to another chicken Tas2r. Using functional calcium mobilization experiments, we screened zebra finch Tas2r1 with 72 bitter compounds and observed responses for 7 substances. Interestingly, all but one of the newly identified bitter agonists were different from those previously identified for Tas2r5, -r6, and –r7 suggesting that the newly investigated receptor fills important gaps in the zebra finch bitter recognition profile. The most potent bitter agonist found in our study is cucurbitacin I, a highly toxic natural bitter substance. We conclude that zebra finch exhibits an exquisitely developed bitter taste with pronounced cucurbitacin I sensitivity suggesting a prominent ecological role of this compound for zebra finch.

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Cucurbitacins in plant food

Cited by 12 publications

References 74 publications

The effect of squash domestication on a belowground tritrophic interaction

The effect of squash domestication on a belowground tritrophic interaction

Nicotine determination in mushrooms by LC–MS/MS with preliminary studies on the impact of drying on nicotine formation

Bitter taste receptors of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

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