Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better?
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...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/21/2991 |
| _version_ | 1797466766778040320 |
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| author | Dorin Dragoș Madalina Petran Teodora-Cristiana Gradinaru Marilena Gilca |
| author_facet | Dorin Dragoș Madalina Petran Teodora-Cristiana Gradinaru Marilena Gilca |
| author_sort | Dorin Dragoș |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:44:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4553ce74e07462e98c1f999ebaa0acb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:44:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4553ce74e07462e98c1f999ebaa0acb2023-11-24T06:26:26ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472022-11-011121299110.3390/plants11212991Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better?Dorin Dragoș0Madalina Petran1Teodora-Cristiana Gradinaru2Marilena Gilca3Department of Medical Semiology, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Functional Sciences I/Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Functional Sciences I/Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Functional Sciences I/Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaThe 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/21/2991tastebittersweetsourphytochemicalsanti-inflammatory |
| spellingShingle | Dorin Dragoș Madalina Petran Teodora-Cristiana Gradinaru Marilena Gilca Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better? Plants taste bitter sweet sour phytochemicals anti-inflammatory |
| title | Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better? |
| title_full | Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better? |
| title_fullStr | Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better? |
| title_short | Phytochemicals and Inflammation: Is Bitter Better? |
| title_sort | phytochemicals and inflammation is bitter better |
| topic | taste bitter sweet sour phytochemicals anti-inflammatory |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/21/2991 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dorindragos phytochemicalsandinflammationisbitterbetter AT madalinapetran phytochemicalsandinflammationisbitterbetter AT teodoracristianagradinaru phytochemicalsandinflammationisbitterbetter AT marilenagilca phytochemicalsandinflammationisbitterbetter |