Identification, Chemical Synthesis, and Sweetness Evaluation of Rhamnose or Xylose Containing Steviol Glycosides of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) Leaves.

Steviol glycosides obtained from Stevia rebaudiana leaves are increasingly used in the food industry as natural low-calorie sweeteners. Among them, the sweetness of major glycosides composed of glucose residues (e.g., stevioside and rebaudioside A) has been widely studied. However, the properties of minor natural products containing rhamnose or xylose residues are poorly investigated. In this study, five unreported steviol glycosides containing rhamnose or xylose were extracted from our developing stevia leaves, and their sweetness was evaluated. The highly glycosylated steviol glycosides were identified, and their structures were examined by fragmentation analysis using mass spectrometry. Chemical synthesis of these glycosides confirmed their structures and allowed sensory evaluation of minor steviol glycosides. Our study revealed that a xylose-containing glycoside, rebaudioside FX1, exhibits a well-balanced sweetness, and thus, it is a promising candidate for natural sweeteners used in the food industry.

Evidence that human oral glucose detection involves a sweet taste pathway and a glucose transporter pathway.

The taste stimulus glucose comprises approximately half of the commercial sugar sweeteners used today, whether in the form of the di-saccharide sucrose (glucose-fructose) or half of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Therefore, oral glucose has been presumed to contribute to the sweet taste of foods when combined with fructose. In light of recent rodent data on the role of oral metabolic glucose signaling, we examined psychopharmacologically whether oral glucose detection may also involve an additional pathway in humans to the traditional sweet taste transduction via the class 1 taste receptors T1R2/T1R3. In a series of experiments, we first compared oral glucose detection thresholds to sucralose thresholds without and with addition of the T1R receptor inhibitor Na-lactisole. Next, we compared oral detection thresholds of glucose to sucralose and to the non-metabolizable glucose analog, α-methyl-D-glucopyranoside (MDG) without and with the addition of the glucose co-transport component sodium (NaCl). Finally, we compared oral detection thresholds for glucose, MDG, fructose, and sucralose without and with the sodium-glucose co-transporter (SGLT) inhibitor phlorizin. In each experiment, psychopharmacological data were consistent with glucose engaging an additional signaling pathway to the sweet taste receptor T1R2/T1R3 pathway. Na-lactisole addition impaired detection of the non-caloric sweetener sucralose much more than it did glucose, consistent with glucose using an additional signaling pathway. The addition of NaCl had a beneficial impact on the detection of glucose and its analog MDG and impaired sucralose detection, consistent with glucose utilizing a sodium-glucose co-transporter. The addition of the SGLT inhibitor phlorizin impaired detection of glucose and MDG more than it did sucralose, and had no effect on fructose, further evidence consistent with glucose utilizing a sodium-glucose co-transporter. Together, these results support the idea that oral detection of glucose engages two signaling pathways: one that is comprised of the T1R2/T1R3 sweet taste receptor and the other that utilizes an SGLT glucose transporter.

Structure-activity relationship study on alpha1 adrenergic receptor antagonists from beer.

Hordatine A and aperidine have been previously isolated from beer as active ingredients, which bind to muscarinic M3 receptor. In addition, these compounds have exhibited antagonist activity against the alpha1A adrenoceptor. Although the relative structures of these two molecules have previously been determined, the absolute stereochemistry was unclear. Hence, to elucidate the absolute stereochemistry of natural hordatine A, we synthesized each enantiomer of hordatine A and aperidine from optically pure dehydrodi-p-coumaric acid. Several additional related compounds were also synthesized for structure-activity relationship studies. Chiral column HPLC analysis demonstrated that the absolute stereochemistry of natural hordatine A is (2S,3S), while based on the isomerization mechanism, the stereochemistry of aperidine is (2R,3S). The alpha1A adrenoceptor binding activity of (2R,3R)-hordatine A is the most potent among the enantiomeric pairs of hordatines and aperidines. Furthermore, the related, synthetic compound, (2R,3R)-methyl benzofurancarboxylate exhibits antagonist activity against the alpha1A adrenoceptor at a lower concentration than that of hordatine A.

Structural determination of two active compounds that bind to the muscarinic M3 receptor in beer.

BACKGROUND: It is known that beer accelerates gastrointestinal motility in humans. Our previous studies showed that beer congener stimulates gastrointestinal motility by directly stimulating the muscarinic M3 receptor. Further, we isolated 2 active compounds (compounds A and B) from beer by liquid chromatography. The objective of the present study was to identify the 2 active compounds that bind to the muscarinic M3 receptor in beer. METHODS: Structural analyses of the active compounds were performed by fast atom bombardment mass spectra, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Active compounds were chemically synthesized from p-coumaric acid and agmatine as starting materials. Binding activity to the muscarinic M3 receptor was used to confirm the activity of the synthetic compounds. RESULTS: It was identified that 2 active compounds had the same structural characteristics: stereoisomers (cis-isomer and trans-isomer), molecular weight=550 and molecular formula=C28H38N8O4. Trans-isomer (compound B) was identified as the known substance hordatine A, a kind of phytoalexin in barley, and cis-isomer (compound A) was found to be a novel compound (tentatively referred to as aperidine). Both naturally present and chemically synthesized aperidine (compound A) and hordatine A (compound B) were demonstrated to have potent binding activities to the muscarinic M3 receptor. CONCLUSIONS: The 2 active compounds isolated from beer, namely aperidine (compound A) and hordatine A (compound B), have structurally and functionally been identified as active entities of binding to the muscarinic M3 receptor.

Beer congener stimulates gastrointestinal motility via the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

BACKGROUND: Ethanol and alcoholic beverages are known to affect upper gastrointestinal motility in humans. Beer has been reported to accelerate gastric emptying compared with other beverages that contain the same ethanol concentrations. In this study, we investigated the mechanism that underlies the effects of beer congener on gastrointestinal motility. METHODS: Gastric emptying activity was measured by means of movement of a semisolid test meal (0.05% phenol red/1.5% methylcellulose) in mice. To elucidate the mechanism for the effect of beer congener on gastrointestinal motility, we conducted receptor binding assays and contraction study by using longitudinal muscle from guinea pig ileum. RESULTS: Beer congener (1 g/kg orally) enhanced gastric emptying of a semisolid meal in mice. The receptor binding assay revealed that beer congener bound to dopamine D2 receptor and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)3 receptor. These IC50 values were more than 5 mg/ml. However, beer congener bound to 5-HT2 receptor, 5-HT4 receptor, and muscarinic M3 receptor with IC50 values of 2, 0.9, and 2 mg/ml, respectively. Beer congener (0.05-2 mg/ml) induced the contraction of longitudinal muscle from guinea pig ileum in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was not affected by either tetrodotoxin (10(-6)M) or ketanserin (10(-7)-10(-5)M), an antagonist for the 5-HT2 receptor. On the other hand, 4-DAMP (10(-8)-10(-5)M), an antagonist for the muscarinic M3 receptor, inhibited the contraction of the longitudinal muscle induced by beer congener (2 mg/ml) dose dependently. CONCLUSIONS: Beer congener stimulates gastrointestinal motility via the muscarinic M3 receptor.

Isolation of stimulants of gastrointestinal motility in beer.

BACKGROUND: Among various alcoholic beverages, it has reported that beer has a potent activity to stimulate gastric emptying. Our previous studies showed that beer congener stimulated gastrointestinal motility by directly stimulating muscarinic M3 receptor, present in smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. However, active components that account for the action have yet to be identified. We attempted to isolate the stimulant(s) of gastrointestinal motility in beer. METHODS: Beer congener was prepared from beer and used to separate and purify active components by a series of liquid chromatography using affinity to muscarinic M3 receptor as an index. Gastrointestinal motility-stimulating activity was evaluated using a test for activity that causes contraction of longitudinal muscles in guinea pig ileum and a test for gastric emptying activity in mice. RESULTS: The active components (compounds A and B) were purified and isolated from beer by four liquid chromatography steps. The IC50 values of two active isolates to muscarinic M3 receptor were 0.65 x 10 g/ml and 2.30 x 10 g/ml, respectively. The concentrations of compounds A and B contained in beer were sufficient to explain most of the muscarinic M3 receptor binding activity of beer. The active fraction that contained both compounds A and B (which was 10 times as active as beer congener in muscarinic M3 receptor binding activity) dose-dependently contracted the longitudinal muscles of guinea pig ileum with an activity that was 20 times as potent as that of beer congener. The same active fraction significantly stimulated gastric emptying in mice with an activity 20 times as potent as that of beer congener. CONCLUSIONS: Two active components (compounds A and B) were isolated as gastrointestinal motility stimulants (muscarinic M3 agonists) in beer. These results suggest that the two isolated active components are the active entities of the gastrointestinal motility-stimulating effect of beer.