E. G. Achigan-Dako, D. A. Tchokponhoué, S. N’Danikou, J. Gebauer, and R. S. Vodouhè, “Current Knowledge and Breeding Perspectives for the Miracle Plant Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schum. et Thonn.) Daniell,” Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 465–476, Mar. 2015.
doi: 10.1007/s10722-015-0225-7.
Synsepalum dulcificum, an African native shrub, is a valuable species. All plant parts are of medicinal importance whereas the fruit known as magic berry, miracle berry, or sweet berry is consumed fresh. Surprisingly, very little is known on the species in terms of genotypes utilization and breeding. In this review we recalled the uses and importance of the species and suggested research avenues for an accelerated growth and fruit production. Synsepalum dulcificum is rich in glycoprotein and is an excellent natural sweetener and also a good candidate for the synthesis of drugs against diabetes. Furthermore, S. dulcificum has high content in phytochemical substances (e.g. (+)-epi-syringaresinol, vanillic acid, cyanidin-3-monogalactoside, and quercetin-3-monogalactoside) with various health and food benefits. Data on the nutrient content are limited. Likewise, knowledge on the reproductive biology and mating system is still narrow, combined with poorly developed horticultural practices. To fully exploit the potential of S. dulcificum prospective actions include: (1) improving the propagation and growth abilities of the species, (2) improving knowledge of floral biology and genetic diversity, (3) understanding the phenological phases of the species, gene expressions and how this contributes to metabolites accumulation and (4) improving genotypes for beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and other value chains.
M. A. Adansi and H. L. O. Holloway, “Germination of Seeds of the Sweet or Miraculous Berry (Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schum & Thonn.) Daniell,” Acta Horticulturae, no. 53, pp. 181–182, Apr. 1977.
doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1977.53.24.
Synsepalum dulcificum Schum & Thonn. (Sweet or Miraculous berry) seeds were germinated in polyethylene bags without soil. The germination period was 27 days at 28–30°C, and 15 days at 18°C.
A. C. Akinmoladun, A. R. Adetuyi, K. Komolafe, and O. O. Oguntibeju, “Nutritional Benefits, Phytochemical Constituents, Ethnomedicinal Uses and Biological Properties of Miracle Fruit Plant (Synsepalum Dulcificum Shumach. & Thonn. Daniell),” Heliyon, vol. 6, no. 12, p. e05837, Dec. 2020.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05837.
Miracle fruit plant or Miracle berry plant (Synsepalum dulcificum) is a peculiar medicinal plant because of the unique taste-modifying property of its fruit which is due to the presence of the glycoprotein, miraculin. This property has been known for centuries to the people of tropical Western and Central Africa who also employ different parts of the plant in the management of various ailments. Scientific investigations have unravelled several pharmacological properties of the plant which include antidiabetic, blood cholesterol-lowering, anti-hyperuricaemia, antioxidant, anticonvulsant and anticancer properties. Also, subacute administration of the plant extract up to 200 mg/kg was not found to be toxic in rats. Apart from miraculin, other pharmacologically active compounds have been identified in the plant including alkaloids (dihydro-feruloyl-5-methoxytyramine, N-cis-caffeoyltyramine, N-cis-feruloyl-tyramine), lignins (+-syringaresinol, +-epi-syringaresinol), phytosterols, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and amino acids. The plant has also been credited with notable nutritional benefits. Proper documentation of available information on folkloric use, biological activity, constituent phytocompounds, and nutritional benefits of ethnobotanicals will go a long way in affording optimal benefits from their therapeutic potentials. This can also aid in the conservation of species at risk of extinction. This work presents an up-to-date review of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, biological and nutritional properties of Synsepalum dulcificum.
E. D. W. A. R. D. S. AYENSU, “Morphology and Anatomy of Synsepalum Dulcificum (Sapotaceae),” Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 179–187, Apr. 1972.
doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.1972.tb00932.x.
The morphology and anatomy of Synsepalum dulcificum has been described, principally because of enquiries from pharmaceutical industries considering this species as a potential replacement of the sweetening agent cyclamate. With the aid of a stereoscan and the light microscope, the pollen grains have been studied for the first time. The grains have either three, four or five colpi. The exine has two well-defined layers. The scanning electron microscope has revealed a very fine striate-granular pattern on the sexine. The importance of leaf venation in the classification of the Sapotaceae has been emphasized in a detailed description of Synsepalum dulcificum: The need for further studies has been noted.
A. Bf et al., “Radical Scavenging Activity and Phytochemical Screening of the Leaf Extract of Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn.) Daniell,” World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 069–076, 2021.
doi: 10.30574/wjarr.2021.10.3.0241.
Antioxidants are chemicals that possess bioactive constituents which usually allow them to fight against free radicals. Antioxidant and phytochemicals properties of the leaves of Synsepalum dulcificum were investigated using ethyl-acetate, ethanol and methanol extracts. 2, 2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, total antioxidant activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total flavonoid and the total phenolic content was carried out. The phytochemical screening assay was done on the following: Alkaloids, saponin, flavonoids, tannin, anthraquinones, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and phlobatannin using the test solvent extracts. The results gotten for antioxidant revealed that methanol gave the highest extract yield (17.4%) while ethyl-acetate extract had the least yield (5.0%). At 250 μg/ml extract concentration, the methanolic extract gave the highest amount with the IC50 values (89.94 μg/ml), followed by ethanol extract (68.20 μg/ml)) while ethyl acetate extract had the least scavenging activity of (39.21 μg/ml), and these were significantly different (P
A. Chambers, L. Demesyeux, P. Moon, and Y. Fu, “Optimization of Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum Dulcificum) Seed Germination and Mutagenesis,” African Journal of Food Science and Technology, vol. 09, no. 02, 2018.
doi: 10.14303/ajfst.2018.231.
Interest in miracle fruit for reducing sugar content in food and beverages is increasing, but miracle fruit genetic improvement is hindered by delayed seed germination, slow seedling growth, and a lack of readily available genetic diversity. Preliminary studies were conducted to optimize the effects of seed surface sterilization, drying time, incubation temperature, and the presence or absence of the seed coat on miracle fruit germination. Optimal 10 days germination rates and seedling growth were realized by omitting surface sterilization, decreasing postharvest drying time, incubating at 30°C, and removal of the seed coat. Removal of the seed coat alone increased germination by 53% after ten days under optimal conditions. Root and shoot lengths were maximized at 8.73 mm and 2.87 mm, respectively, after 10 days incubations under optimal conditions. Experiments using γ-ray mutagenesis were conducted as a means to create genetic diversity in this species. Irradiation levels from 0 to 600 Gy resulted in a calculated LD50 at ~70 Gy with total seed mortality at 400 Gy. Finally, the frequency of seeds with three cotyledons and double seeds (3.8% and 0.43%, respectively) were observed in multiple harvests. These findings describe conditions that increase germination percentage, maximize seedling growth rate, and establish a range of radiation levels to create miracle fruit mutation populations for the genetic improvement of this valuable species.
L. Demesyeux, “The Potential for Miracle Fruit Production in Haiti,” p. 9.
L. Demesyeux, M. Brym, D. Valdes, C. Collazo, and A. H. Chambers, “Yield and Miraculin Content of Nine Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum Dulcificum) Morphotypes,” Euphytica, vol. 216, no. 11, p. 181, Oct. 2020.
doi: 10.1007/s10681-020-02710-x.
Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is an understudied tropical fruit species with potential as a source of natural, non-caloric sweetener. Miracle fruit berries have been consumed in Africa for over 100 years. The fruit pulp contains a protein called miraculin, a natural, non-caloric sweetener, that changes the perception of sour foods and beverages to sweet. Demand for natural, non-caloric sweeteners like miraculin is increasing due to the growing number of people affected by chronic diseases associated with high sugar consumption. Miracle fruit could play a role in reducing sugar content in some food and beverage applications, but basic plant yield data and miraculin content in the fruit is generally lacking. To overcome these limitations, fruit yield and miraculin content were analyzed for individual plants from a commercial miracle fruit farm growing nine plant morphotypes. Miracle fruit plants in general followed synchronized flowering periods with six harvest peaks within a single year with the largest yields from May to July. Total average yield ranged from 0.06 to 3.44 kg/tree/year for individual plants. The highest yielding plant morphotype was ‘Imperial’ with 2.76 kg/tree/yr. Average fruit weight ranged from 1.22–1.54 g, and pulp thickness ranged from 0.21–0.31 cm. A simplified extraction and quantification method was used to quantify miraculin from fruits. Miraculin content ranged from 0.07 for a ‘Holly’ morphotype to 1.30 mg/g of juice for a ‘Flame’ morphotype as measured by HPLC using recombinant miraculin as a protein standard. Overall, this study identified variation in both yield and miraculin content across sixty-six mature miracle fruit plants. These results will be useful for selecting superior plant types and provide foundational information supporting a new industry growing the natural, non-caloric sweetener miraculin.
A. B. Fandohan et al., “Usages Traditionnels Et Valeur Économique De Synsepalum Dulcificum Au Sud-Bénin,” BOIS & FORETS DES TROPIQUES, vol. 332, pp. 17–30, Sep. 2017.
doi: 10.19182/bft2017.332.a31330.
Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn. Daniell) is a West African shrub which is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Its importance for local people in Benin has been little documented. This study takes up this issue and was carried out to assess local knowledge, use value and the economic importance of the spe- cies for local people. Ethnobotanical and economic surveys were conducted with 606 respondents from 13 socio-cultural groups in southern Benin. Ethnobotanical and economic indices (citation frequency, ethnobotanical use value and mean income generated) were computed and their significance tested using genera- lized linear models and Kruskal and Wal- lis tests. The results showed that S. dulci- ficum was well known to local people in southern Benin (100% of respondents), who mostly grew it in their home gardens. All parts of the plant were used, mostly for medicinal, food and spiritual purposes. Knowledge of the shrub and its use value varied among the socio-cultural groups, decreasing along a gradient from sou- th-east to south-west. Knowledge and use value were also dependent on gender, age and activity, and concentrated among men, adults, elderly people and tradi- tional healers. Economic data showed a short marketing chain. The low average income generated by selling the fruit (about US$ 28 yearly per seller) reveals the low economic value of the species, which is a declining subsistence resource. Optimising the conservation and uses of the species would require (i) nutritional, phyto-chemical, pharmaceutical, pheno- logical, morphological and genetic inves- tigations, (ii) the development of sylvicul- tural method, (iii) inclusion of the species in formal conservation policies and (iv) development of a value chain by establi- shing a structured production channel.
J. Hamdard, B. Mangla, and K. Kohli, “Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Potential of Miraculin and Miracle Berry,” Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 12–17, Jan. 2018.
doi: 10.26538/tjnpr/v2i1.3.
K. Hiwasa-Tanase, T. Hirai, K. Kato, N. Duhita, and H. Ezura, “From Miracle Fruit to Transgenic Tomato: Mass Production of the Taste-Modifying Protein Miraculin in Transgenic Plants,” Plant Cell Reports, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 513–525, Mar. 2012.
doi: 10.1007/s00299-011-1197-5.
The utility of plants as biofactories has progressed in recent years. Some recombinant plant-derived pharmaceutical products have already reached the marketplace. However, with the exception of drugs and vaccines, a strong effort has not yet been made to bring recombinant products to market, as cost-effectiveness is critically important for commercialization. Sweet-tasting proteins and taste-modifying proteins have a great deal of potential in industry as substitutes for sugars and as artificial sweeteners. The taste-modifying protein, miraculin, functions to change the perception of a sour taste to a sweet one. This taste-modifying function can potentially be used not only as a low-calorie sweetener but also as a new seasoning that could be the basis of a new dietary lifestyle. However, miraculin is far from inexpensive, and its potential as a marketable product has not yet been fully developed. For the last several years, biotechnological production of this taste-modifying protein has progressed extensively. In this review, the characteristics of miraculin and recent advances in its production using transgenic plants are summarized, focusing on such topics as the suitability of plant species as expression hosts, the cultivation method for transgenic plants, the method of purifying miraculin and future advances required to achieve industrial use.
W. E. Jia et al., “Deciphering Synsepalum Dulcificum as an Arising Phytotherapy Agent: Background, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties with Associated Molecular Mechanisms,” Sains Malaysiana, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 199–208, Jan. 2022.
doi: 10.17576/jsm-2022-5101-16.
Medicinal plants with less side effects are paramount important for humankind to cure various ailments as compared to newly developed allopathic medicines. Synsepalum dulcificum Daniell (Sapotaceae), is well known as miracle fruits due to its distinctive taste-modifying property. This review aimed to discuss its recent reported pharmacological properties and associated molecular mechanisms as a novel phytotherapy agent. In addition, background, phytochemical analysis and toxicological studies were also discussed as the foundation and added values for this review. It was discovered that S. dulcificum is endowed with various classes of phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and saponins. This review ravelled that S. dulcificum is a potent medicinal plant associated with antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-hyperuricemic, hepatoprotective, anti-hyperlipidaemic, and anticonvulsant activities, with less toxicity shown. Future research may explore further the corresponding phytochemicals, associated molecular mechanisms, toxicological and pharmacokinetic profile before subjecting to clinical testing.
H. Jian, F. Qiao, J. Chen, and N. He, “Physicochemical Characterisation of Polysaccharides from the Seeds and Leaves of Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum Dulcificum) and Their Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities In Vitro,” Journal of Chemistry, vol. 2017, p. e8948639, Mar. 2017.
doi: 10.1155/2017/8948639.
Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) has been well known and studied for its unique taste-modifying ability. In this study, the monosaccharide composition, molecular weight (Mw), and in vitro bioactivities (antioxidant, -glucosidase inhibition) of polysaccharides from the seeds (MFP-S) and leaves (MFP-L) of miracle fruit were investigated. The results showed that MFP-S was a homogeneous polysaccharide (Mw 2804 Da) with glucose. MFP-L displayed three fractions (92093, 1496, and 237 Da) consisting of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, and xylose. Moreover, the antioxidant and -glucosidase inhibition of MFP-L were significantly greater than those of MFP-S. The -glucosidase inhibition of MFP-L was remarkably better than the positive control, acarbose (an antidiabetes drug). More specifically, the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of -glucosidase activities for MFP-S, MFP-L, and acarbose were 33, 0.01, and 1 mg mL−1, separately. Therefore, MFP-L can be developed as a functional factor with both antioxidant and antidiabetes activities in food applications.
Miracle fruits truly are amazing. They really do make sour things taste sweet, and while you are under their influence, you realise just how much sugar blunts the true flavour of the sour fruit you are eating. But, a word of warning - that sour fruit is still very acidic, and will severely irritate the mucous membranes of your mouth if you eat too much and don’t rinse the acid away. Personal experience speaking here! (Pat)
A. Koizumi et al., “Human Sweet Taste Receptor Mediates Acid-Induced Sweetness of Miraculin,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 108, no. 40, pp. 16819–16824, Oct. 2011.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1016644108.
Miraculin (MCL) is a homodimeric protein isolated from the red berries of Richadella dulcifica. MCL, although flat in taste at neutral pH, has taste-modifying activity to convert sour stimuli to sweetness. Once MCL is held on the tongue, strong sweetness is sensed over 1 h each time we taste a sour solution. Nevertheless, no molecular mechanism underlying the taste-modifying activity has been clarified. In this study, we succeeded in quantitatively evaluating the acid-induced sweetness of MCL using a cell-based assay system and found that MCL activated hT1R2-hT1R3 pH-dependently as the pH decreased from 6.5 to 4.8, and that the receptor activation occurred every time an acid solution was applied. Although MCL per se is sensory-inactive at pH 6.7 or higher, it suppressed the response of hT1R2-hT1R3 to other sweeteners at neutral pH and enhanced the response at weakly acidic pH. Using human/mouse chimeric receptors and molecular modeling, we revealed that the amino-terminal domain of hT1R2 is required for the response to MCL. Our data suggest that MCL binds hT1R2-hT1R3 as an antagonist at neutral pH and functionally changes into an agonist at acidic pH, and we conclude this may cause its taste-modifying activity.
T. K. Lim, “Synsepalum Dulcificum,” in Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 6, Fruits, T. K. Lim, Ed. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2013, pp. 146–150.
doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-5628-1_26.
C. Lokossou, D. Tchokponhoué, E. Legba, S. N’Danikou, and E. Achigan-Dako, Tips for Successful Crosses in the Miracle Plant (Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach & Thonn.) Daniell. 2020.
Te miracle plant Synsepalum dulcifcum (Schumach & Tonn.) Daniell, also known as Richardella dulcifca (Schumach & Tonn.) Baehni is a West African native fruit species. It belongs to the Sapotaceae, a family with roughly forty genera and 800 species. Synsepalum dulcifcum is the most famous species of its genus owing to its fruits “the miracle berry” known as the unique natural source of miraculin, a taste modifying glycoprotein. Te sweetening property of the miracle berry placed the species as one of the most valuable and promising species in the Sapotaceae family. Te species is a good source of antioxidants and has numerous applications in food and beverages, and pharmaceutical industries.
Y. Milhet and C. Costes, “Some Data on Sweetener Plants Biology,” Acta Horticulturae, no. 144, pp. 77–84, Jun. 1984.
doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1984.144.10.
The biology of two sweetener, tropical plants was studied in green house. Abrus precatorius L. (Papilionacaee) contains a sweetening agent in its leaves and roots : glycyrrhizin. Its grains insert an antitumoral and toxic substance : abrin. Germination of seeds is very difficult. In contrary, propagation by stem cuttings succeeds easily. CO2 enrichment of the atmosphere is favorable to foliage harvesting, but only when nitrogen in nutritive solution is supplied as nitrate. Synsepalum dulcificum SCHUM (Sapotacaee) contains in its fruit a glycoprotein : miraculin, which has the property to convert acid-flavoured foods into sweetened: it is a taste-modifying substance. The plant cultivation can only be successful on an acid substratum. Seed germination is rather difficult: a 25°C temperature seems appropriate.
Y.-feng Niu, S.-bang Ni, and J. Liu, “Complete Chloroplast Genome of Synsepalum Dulcificum D.: A Magical Plant That Modifies Sour Flavors to Sweet,” Mitochondrial DNA Part B, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 3052–3053, Jul. 2020.
doi: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1798299.
Synsepalum dulcificum D. belongs to the Sapotaceae family, which is an evergreen shrub native to tropical West Africa. It is a kind of magical plant that has the unique characteristic of modifying sour flavors to sweet. In this study, the chloroplast genome of S. dulcificum was sequenced, assembled, and annotated firstly. Chloroplast genome size of S. dulcificum is 158,463 bp, the circular chloroplast genome consists of four regions: a large single-copy region of 88,256 bp, two inverted repeat regions of 25,958 bp, and a small single-copy region of 18,669 bp, with the GC content of 36.87%. A total of 133 genes were annotated in the S. dulcificum chloroplast genome, of which 88 were protein-coding genes (PCGs), 37 were transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight were ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Pouteria campechiana was most closely related to S. dulcificum. The study provides important genomic data for further utilization and breeding of S. dulcificum.
“Regeneration Ability and Seedling Growth in the Miracle Plant Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn.) Daniell.,” Fruits, vol. 73, pp. 13–21, 2018.
doi: 10.17660/th2018/73.1.2.
Conservation and management of recalcitrant-seeded species are a major concern, particularly for socio-economically important species such as Synsepalum dulcificum in which seed viability and storage behavior are not sufficiently documented. In order to improve the seed propagation management of S. dulcificum, we investigated the effects of seed provenance, short-term storage, culture medium, and pulp removal on viability, germinability, germination speed, and seedlings growth. A first experiment following a complete randomized block design consisted of two treatments (intact fruit or depulped fruit). In a second experiment we used a split-split-plot design with 16 treatments of a factorial combination of 2 provenances (Houéyogbé and Toffo), 2 culture media (soil and sawdust) and 4 storage times (0, 1, 2, and 7 days). The seed viability remained high (85%) on the second day of storage at ambient condition and decreased to 0% when seeds were stored for 7 days. It was affected by the type of culture medium. All factors, except pulp removal, affected germinability and germination speed with percentages ranging from 44 to 99% at two months after sowing. Seedling growth was extremely slow and was affected by the seed provenance, substrate, and storage time. The time of storage is a major limiting factor for S. dulcificum seed viability whereas successive use of sawdust and soil for germination and seedling growth, respectively, is recommended to improve seedling production in the nursery.
D. A. Tchokponhoué, S. N’Danikou, and E. G. Achigan-Dako, “A Combination of Approaches Evidenced Seed Storage Behaviour in the Miracle Berry Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach. et Thonn.) Daniell,” BMC Plant Biology, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 117, Mar. 2019.
doi: 10.1186/s12870-019-1714-1.
Knowledge on seed storage behaviour is crucial for planning conservation strategies of plant genetic resources particularly in economically promising but endangered species like Synsepalum dulcificum, viewed as recalcitrant-seeded species albeit sound evidence was lacking. In this study, we combined an experimental approach based on critical moisture content and storage environment analysis, and the seed-coat ratio–seed dry mass (SCR-SM) model to clarify the seed storage behaviour in the species. Seed moisture content at shedding was determined and effects of dehydration and cold storage on seed viability, germination and subsequent seedling vigour were analysed. The probability for dessication-senstivity [P(D-S)] was also determined.
D. A. Tchokponhoué et al., “Comparative Analysis of Management Practices and End-Users’ Desired Breeding Traits in the Miracle Plant [Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach & Thonn.) Daniell] across Ecological Zones and Sociolinguistic Groups in West Africa,” Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, vol. 17, no. 1, p. 41, Jun. 2021.
doi: 10.1186/s13002-021-00467-8.
Understanding end-users’ preferred breeding traits and plant management practices is fundamental in defining sound breeding objectives and implementing a successful plant improvement programme. Since such knowledge is lacking for Synsepalum dulcificum, a worldwide promising orphan fruit tree species, we assessed the interrelationships among socio-demography, ecology, management practices, diversity and ranking of desired breeding traits by end-users of the species (farmers, final consumers and processing companies) in West Africa.
D. A. Tchokponhoué, S. N’Danikou, I. Hale, A. Van Deynze, and E. G. Achigan-Dako, “Early Fruiting in Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn.) Daniell Juveniles Induced by Water and Inorganic Nutrient Management,” F1000Research, vol. 6, p. 399, Mar. 2017.
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.11091.1.
Background. The miracle plant, Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn.) Daniell is a native African orphan crop species that has recently received increased attention due to its promise as a sweetener and source of antioxidants in both the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, a major obstacle to the species’ widespread utilization is its relatively slow growth rate and prolonged juvenile period. Method. In this study, we tested twelve treatments made up of various watering regimes and exogenous nutrient application (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, at varying dosages) on the relative survival, growth, and reproductive development of 15-months-old S. dulcificum juveniles. Results. While the plants survived under most tested growing conditions, nitrogen application at doses higher than 1.5 g [seedling] -1 was found to be highly detrimental, reducing survival to 0%. The treatment was found to affect all growth traits, and juveniles that received a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (each at a rate of 1.5 g [seedling] -1), in addition to daily watering, exhibited the most vegetative growth. The simple daily provision of adequate water was found to greatly accelerate the transition to reproductive maturity in the species (from >36 months to an average of 23 months), whereas nutrient application affected the length of the reproductive phase within a season, as well as the fruiting intensity. Conclusions. This study highlights the beneficial effect of water supply and fertilization on both vegetative and reproductive growth in S. dulcificum. Water supply appeared to be the most important factor unlocking flowering in the species, while the combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium at the dose of 1.5 g (for all) consistently exhibited the highest performance for all growth and yield traits. These findings will help intensify S. dulcificum’s breeding and horticultural development.
D. A. Tchokponhoué, S. N’Danikou, J. S. Houéto, and E. G. Achigan-Dako, “Shade and Nutrient-Mediated Phenotypic Plasticity in the Miracle Plant Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn.) Daniell,” Scientific Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 5135, Mar. 2019.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-41673-5.
Phenotypic plasticity as a change of genotype expression in response to environmental heterogeneity varies in magnitude among crop species and can induce a shift in a plant’s phenology. In Synsepalum dulcificum, a West African orphan fruit tree, such phenological plasticity is not well understood. Here, we hypothesize that light stimulation and changes in organic nutrient availability would induce an accelerated transition in S. dulcificum from its juvenile to its reproductive phase. We grew 14-month-old seedlings of S. dulcificum under a range of nutrient regimes, both in shade and in full sunlight, and measured their survival, vegetative growth, biomass allocation, and transition to reproductive maturity. The results reveal that S. dulcificum responds favourably to both shading and nutrient application, with the shading exhibiting a stronger influence on the measured variables. The species’ morphological plasticity, particularly in terms of plant height and stem diameter, was found to exceed both its fitness and allocational plasticities. Under the conditions examined, we observed an accelerated transition to fruiting, at an age of only 24 months. The observed plasticity suggests S. dulcificum to be an intermediate shade-tolerant species. This finding expands our knowledge on the appropriate environmental conditions for the breeding and cultivation of this species.
D. A. Tchokponhoué et al., “Use Patterns, Knowledge Diversity and Drivers for the Cultivation of the Miracle Plant [Synsepalum Dulcificum (Schumach & Thonn.) Daniell] in Benin and Ghana,” Plants, vol. 10, no. 11, p. 2253, Nov. 2021.
doi: 10.3390/plants10112253.
Despite the growing interest in the miracle plant worldwide due to its numerous applications, the threats and the wild harvest of the species hamper its sustainable utilisation. Moreover, traditional knowledge so far documented on the species is limited to a narrow geographical coverage of its natural distribution range, which is West and Central Africa. This study analysed the use variation and knowledge acquisition pattern of the miracle plant among West African sociolinguistic groups and deciphered the drivers of populations’ willingness and readiness to engage in cultivating the species. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 510 respondents purposively selected from nine sociolinguistic groups in Benin and Ghana using the snowball sampling approach. Information was collected on respondents’ socio-demographic profile, miracle plant ownership, plant parts used and preparation methods, knowledge of the species bioecology, perceived threats on the species, willingness to cultivate, maximum acreage to allocate to the species and maximum price to pay for a seedling. Descriptive statistics, generalized linear models, classification and regression tree models were used for data analysis. The miracle plant ownership mode depended on the age category. Sociolinguistic affiliation, level of schooling, migratory status and religion significantly affected the number of trees owned. We recorded 76 uses belonging to six use categories. The overall use-value of the miracle plant significantly varied according to the respondent sociolinguistic affiliation, main activity and religion. Men were the main source of knowledge and knowledge is mainly acquired along the family line. Knowledge related to food and social uses was mostly acquired from parents and people of the same generation, while magico-therapeutic and medicinal use-related knowledge were inherited from parents and grandparents. Sociolinguistic affiliation, awareness of taboos and market availability were the most important drivers of respondent willingness to cultivate the miracle plant. While the respondent’s level of schooling and perception of plant growth rate determined the maximum acreage they were willing to allocate to the species in cultivation schemes, their main activity, sociolinguistic affiliation and knowledge of the species time to fruiting drove the maximum purchase price they were willing to offer for a seedling of the species. Our findings provide key information for the promotion of miracle plant cultivation in the study area.
C. Xingwei, T. L. Abdullah, S. Taheri, N. A. P. Abdullah, and S. A. Hassan, “Flower Ontogenesis and Fruit Development of Synsepalum Dulcificum,” HortScience, vol. 51, no. 6, pp. 697–702, Jun. 2016.
doi: 10.21273/HORTSCI.51.6.697.
Synsepalum dulcificum from the family Sapotaceae is known as miracle fruit and is a valuable horticultural species. All plant parts are of medicinal importance whereas the fruit known as magic berry, miracle berry, or sweet berry is consumed fresh. Surprisingly, very little is known on the species in terms of flower morphology and flower development. In this study, an observation on the flower morphology and flower development of miracle fruit has been made with the aid of microscopic techniques. Miracle fruit flower requires 100 days to develop from reproductive meristem to full anthesis. The flower development can be divided into six stages based on the size and appearance of the flower bud. The fruit with persistent style developed and ripened 90 days after anthesis. Heavy fruit drop was observed at 40–60 days after anthesis which contributed to the final fruit set of average of 5.06% per plant. Through this study, miracle fruit is strongly insect pollinated and prevents self-fertilization. A study on pollination ecology is needed to identify the pollinator for miracle fruit, as this is important in manipulating fruit loading in the future.
Z. Yang et al., “The Chromosome-Level Genome of Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum Dulcificum) Provides New Insights Into the Evolution and Function of Miraculin,” Frontiers in Plant Science, vol. 12, p. 804662, Jan. 2022.
doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.804662.
Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is a rare valuable tropical plant famous for a miraculous sweetening glycoprotein, miraculin, which can modify sour flavors to sweet flavors tasted by humans. Here, we present a chromosome-level high-quality genome of S. dulcificum with an assembly genome size of ∼550 Mb, contig N50 of ∼14.14 Mb, and 37,911 annotated protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that S. dulcificum was most closely related to Camellia sinensis and Diospyros oleifera, and that S. dulcificum diverged from the Diospyros genus ∼75.8 million years ago (MYA), and that C. sinensis diverged from Synsepalum ∼63.5 MYA. Ks assessment and collinearity analysis with S. dulcificum and other species suggested that a whole-genome duplication (WGD) event occurred in S. dulcificum and that there was good collinearity between S. dulcificum and Vitis vinifera. On the other hand, transcriptome and metabolism analysis with six tissues containing three developmental stages of fleshes and seeds of miracle fruit revealed that Gene Ontology (GO) terms and metabolic pathways of “cellular response to chitin,” “plant–pathogen interaction,” and “plant hormone signal transduction” were significantly enriched during fruit development. Interestingly, the expression of miraculin (Chr10G0299340) progressively increased from vegetative organs to reproductive organs and reached an incredible level in mature fruit flesh, with an fragments per kilobase of transcript per million (FPKM) value of ∼113,515, which was the most highly expressed gene among all detected genes. Combining the unique signal peptide and the presence of the histidine-30 residue together composed the main potential factors impacting miraculin’s unique properties in S. dulcificum. Furthermore, integrated analysis of weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), enrichment and metabolite correlation suggested that miraculin plays potential roles in regulating plant growth, seed germination and maturation, resisting pathogen infection, and environmental pressure. In summary, valuable genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolic resources provided in this study will promote the utilization of S. dulcificum and in-depth research on species in the Sapotaceae family.
