Among the sapid stimuli, those that elicit bitter taste are the most abundant and structurally diverse. To accommodate this diversity, animals are thought to use multiple bitter transduction pathways. We examined the role of individual taste receptor cells (TRCs) in this transduction process by focusing on one of the taste organs, or chemosensilla, of a caterpillar (Manduca sexta). This chemose...

The relationship between the levels of cyanogenic compounds (amygdalin and prunasin) in kernels, leaves, and roots of 5 sweet-, 5 slightly bitter-, and 5 bitter-kernelled almond trees was determined. Variability was observed among the genotypes for these compounds. Prunasin was found only in the vegetative part (roots and leaves) for all genotypes tested. Amygdalin was detected only in the kern...

Bitter taste perception provides animals with critical protection against ingestion of poisonous compounds. In the accompanying paper, we report the characterization of a large family of putative mammalian taste receptors (T2Rs). Here we use a heterologous expression system to show that specific T2Rs function as bitter taste receptors. A mouse T2R (mT2R-5) responds to the bitter tastant cyclohe...

Bitter taste elicits an aversive reaction, and is believed to protect against consuming poisons. Bitter molecules are detected by the Tas2r family of G-protein-coupled receptors, with a species-dependent number of subtypes. Chickens demonstrate bitter taste sensitivity despite having only three bitter taste receptors-ggTas2r1, ggTas2r2 and ggTas2r7. This minimalistic bitter taste system in chic...

Background & Aim: Achillea millefolium is one of the most valuable medicinal and industrial species, which is available in the Iran pastures, and it belongs to the Asteraceae family. This plant wild grows in plains, roadsides and mountain areas. Therapeutically, it has been a healer of wounds, and due to having tannins and bitter and aromatic substances, it has an effect on the nervous...

Background & Aim: Achillea millefolium is one of the most valuable medicinal and industrial species, which is available in the Iran pastures, and it belongs to the Asteraceae family. This plant wild grows in plains, roadsides and mountain areas. Therapeutically, it has been a healer of wounds, and due to having tannins and bitter and aromatic substances, it has an effect on the nervous...

Background/Introduction: Wild bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L. var. abbreviate Seringe) common vegetable in Asia, is used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases, including inflammation. Extant literature indicates that wild bitter gourds have components that activate PPARα and PPARγ. This research probed influence of adding wild bitter gourd to diets on inflammation responses in ...

The gustatory and olfactory systems are the only two systems in which stimuli act directly on the receptor. There are five taste categories which have been identified as gustatory stimuli: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami (MSG). Bitter and sour are known as aversive stimuli and help mammals avoid toxic and spoiled foods. Although both are similar in that they are aversive, they work throug...