Curculigo

Curculigo
Curculigo orchioides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Hypoxidaceae
Genus: Curculigo
Gaertn.
Synonyms[1]
  • Franquevillea Zoll. ex Miq.
  • Heliacme Ravenna

Curculigo is a flowering plant genus in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1788. It is widespread across tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.[1][2]

Curculin is a sweet protein that was discovered and isolated in 1990 from the fruit of Curculigo latifolia,[3] a plant from Malaysia. Like miraculin, curculin exhibits taste-modifying activity; however, unlike miraculin, it also exhibits a sweet taste by itself. After consumption of curculin, water and sour solutions taste sweet. The plant is referred to locally as 'Lembah' or 'Lumbah'; English: 'Weevil-wort'.[4]

Species[1]
  1. Curculigo annamitica Gagnep. - Vietnam
  2. Curculigo breviscapa S.C.Chen - China (Guangxi, Guangdong)
  3. Curculigo conoc Gagnep. - Vietnam
  4. Curculigo disticha Gagnep. - Vietnam
  5. Curculigo ensifolia R.Br. - Australia
  6. Curculigo erecta Lauterb. - Philippines, Sumatra, New Guinea, Solomon Island
  7. Curculigo maharashtrensis M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav - Maharashtra
  8. Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. - China, Japan, Indian Subcontinent, Papuasia, Micronesia
  9. Curculigo pilosa (Schumach. & Thonn.) Engl. - tropical Africa, Madagascar
  10. Curculigo racemosa Ridl. - Borneo
  11. Curculigo savantwadiensis M.R.Almeida & S.Yadav - Maharashtra
  12. Curculigo scorzonerifolia (Lam.) Baker - southern Mexico, Central America, West Indies, northern South America
  13. Curculigo seychellensis Bojer ex Baker - Seychelles
  14. Curculigo sinensis S.C.Chen - China (Yunnan)
  15. Curculigo tonkinensis Gagnep. - Vietnam

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ↑ Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 271 仙茅属 xian mao shu Curculigo Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 63. 1788.
  3. ↑ Yamashita H, Theerasilp S, Aiuchi T, Nakaya K, Nakamura Y, Kurihara Y (September 1990). "Purification and complete amino acid sequence of a new type of sweet protein taste-modifying activity, curculin". J. Biol. Chem. 265 (26): 15770–5. PMID 2394746.
  4. ↑ Hean Chooi Ong (2004). Tumbuhan liar: khasiat ubatan & kegunaan lain. Utusan Publications. p. 24. ISBN 9676116300.
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