PlantMolecularTasteDB: A Database of Taste Active Phytochemicals

Gradinaru, Teodora-Cristiana; Petran, Mădălina; Dragoș, Dorin; Gîlcă, Marilena

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.751712

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The study relies on the information gathered and made public in PMTDB ( ), which contains a total of 1527 phytocompounds from traditionally used herbs. According to our knowledge, PMTDB is the largest database dedicated to phytotastants and orosensation active phytochemicals [ 16 ]. The existence of well-documented, reliable information about the taste of the phytocompound was the criterion for including a phytocompound in this database.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to study the role of herbal taste in the distribution of ethnopharmacological activities, we introduced the concept of phytomolecular taste, or plant molecular taste, in an earlier paper, as derived from the inseparable connection ( samavaya ) postulated in Ayurveda between taste ( rasa ) and substance ( dravya ), and it is justified by the fact that the ethnopharmacological activities of medicinal plants seem to be better predicted by the taste of the major constituent phytocompounds than by their phytochemical class [ 15 ]. The phytomolecular taste, or the plant molecular taste, represents the virtual taste profile resulted from the contribution of all the major phytotastants found in a medicinal plant [ 15 , 16 ]. In a previous study we found that bitter phytomolecular taste of Indian herbals is statistically associated with ayurvedic anti-inflammatory activity (Sanskrit sothahara) [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better?

Dragoș

Petran

Gradinaru

et al. 2022

Plants

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The taste of a herb influences its use in traditional medicine. A molecular basis for the taste-based patterns ruling the distribution of herbal (ethno) pharmacological activities may not be excluded. This study investigated the potential correlations between the anti-inflammatory activity (AIA) and the phytocompound taste and/or its chemical class. The study relies on information gathered by an extensive literature (articles, books, databases) search and made public as PlantMolecularTasteDB. Out of a total of 1527 phytotastants with reliably documented taste and structure available in PlantMolecularTasteDB, 592 (for each of which at least 40 hits were found on PubMed searches) were included in the statistical analysis. A list of 1836 putative molecular targets of these phytotastants was afterwards generated with SwissTargetPrediction tool. These targets were systematically evaluated for their potential role in inflammation using an international databases search. The correlations between phytochemical taste and AIA, between chemical class and AIA, and between the taste and the number of inflammation related targets were statistically analyzed. Phytochemical taste may be a better predictor of AIA than the chemical class. Bitter phytocompounds have a higher probability of exerting AIA when compared with otherwise phytotastants. Moreover, bitter phytotastants act upon more inflammation related targets than non-bitter tasting compounds.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better?

Dragoș

Petran

Gradinaru

et al. 2022

Plants

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“…In addition, several comprehensive databases on molecules with sour, salty, spicy, and fresh tastes have been developed, such as AdditiveChem, PhytoMolecularTasteDB, and ChemTastesDB . PlantMolecularTasteDB contains 1527 phytochemicals from 394 plants and their taste senses (e.g., bitter, sweet, sour, fresh, salty, pungent, and astringent) and anti-inflammatory properties. A unique feature of PlantMolecularTasteDB absent in other taste-focused databases consists of data on the evidence-based biological activity of the phytotastants .…”

Section: Flavor Molecule Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data-Driven Elucidation of Flavor Chemistry

Kou

Shi

Gao

et al. 2023

J. Agric. Food Chem.

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Flavor molecules are commonly used in the food industry to enhance product quality and consumer experiences but are associated with potential human health risks, highlighting the need for safer alternatives. To address these health-associated challenges and promote reasonable application, several databases for flavor molecules have been constructed. However, no existing studies have comprehensively summarized these data resources according to quality, focused fields, and potential gaps. Here, we systematically summarized 25 flavor molecule databases published within the last 20 years and revealed that data inaccessibility, untimely updates, and nonstandard flavor descriptions are the main limitations of current studies. We examined the development of computational approaches (e.g., machine learning and molecular simulation) for the identification of novel flavor molecules and discussed their major challenges regarding throughput, model interpretability, and the lack of gold-standard data sets for equitable model evaluation. Additionally, we discussed future strategies for the mining and designing of novel flavor molecules based on multi-omics and artificial intelligence to provide a new foundation for flavor science research.

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“…Indeed, NO has been repeatedly shown to exhibit a microbicidal effect on cardiotropic pathogens (Akaike and Maeda 2000 ; Uehara et al 2015 ). TAS2Rs of the endocardium or cardiac vessel endothelium respond to quorum-sensing signal molecules, potentially dangerous microbial metabolites, toxins, pharmacological agents such as acetaminophen, chloramphenicol, chloroquine, quinine, noscapine (Tables 1 and 2 ) [BitterDB ( http://bitterdb.agri.huji.ac.il )], and phytochemicals such as genistein and polyphenols (Gradinaru et al 2022 ) to trigger NO secretion via the canonical pathway of taste receptor transduction (Gopallawa et al 2021 ; Carey et al 2021 ). Accordingly, in the canonical pathway, the microbicidal effects of activation of cardiac endothelial TAS2Rs are largely due to the rise in intracellular Ca 2+ , which forms complexes with CaM, and in turn activates CaM-dependent protein kinases to stimulate eNOS (endothelial NOS).…”

Section: Emerging Role Of Cardiac Bitter Taste Receptors In Cardiac I...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The amino acid sequence of TAS2Rs from different species share a similarity of about 23–86% (Chandrashekar et al 2000 ; Shi et al 2003 ; Wu et al 2005 ). TAS2Rs are activated by hundreds of different substances, including denatonium, amarogentin, caffeine, chloroquine, quinine (Bayer et al 2021 ), N -phenylthiourea, phenylthiocarbamide, cycloheximide (Meyerhof et al 2010 ; Gradinaru et al 2022 ), xanthohumol, dextromethorphan, methimazole, and glimepiride (D’Urso and Drago 2021 ). These taste receptors are ubiquitously expressed in many cells and tissues of the body.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cellular mechanisms and molecular pathways linking bitter taste receptor signalling to cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction in heart diseases

2022

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Heart diseases and related complications constitute a leading cause of death and socioeconomic threat worldwide. Despite intense efforts and research on the pathogenetic mechanisms of these diseases, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are yet to be completely understood. Several lines of evidence indicate a critical role of inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in the development and progression of heart diseases. Nevertheless, the molecular machinery that drives cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress is not completely known. Recent data suggest an important role of cardiac bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) in the pathogenetic mechanism of heart diseases. Independent groups of researchers have demonstrated a central role of TAS2Rs in mediating inflammatory, oxidative stress responses, autophagy, impulse generation/propagation and contractile activities in the heart, suggesting that dysfunctional TAS2R signalling may predispose to cardiac inflammatory and oxidative stress disorders, characterised by contractile dysfunction and arrhythmia. Moreover, cardiac TAS2Rs act as gateway surveillance units that monitor and detect toxigenic or pathogenic molecules, including microbial components, and initiate responses that ultimately culminate in protection of the host against the aggression. Unfortunately, however, the molecular mechanisms that link TAS2R sensing of the cardiac milieu to inflammatory and oxidative stress responses are not clearly known. Therefore, we sought to review the possible role of TAS2R signalling in the pathophysiology of cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction in heart diseases. Potential therapeutic significance of targeting TAS2R or its downstream signalling molecules in cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction is also discussed.

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PlantMolecularTasteDB: A Database of Taste Active Phytochemicals

Cited by 8 publications

References 41 publications

Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better?

Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better?

Data-Driven Elucidation of Flavor Chemistry

Cellular mechanisms and molecular pathways linking bitter taste receptor signalling to cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction in heart diseases

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