SYSEPHALUM DULCIFICUM: THE MIRACLE BEHIND THE MIRACLE FRUIT!

Synsepalum dulcificum is also called as "wonder fruit," "magic fruit," "miracle fruit," and

"flavor fruit." It is a shrub that can reach a height of 20 feet (6.1 meters) in its natural habitat ,but rarely exceeds 10 feet in cultivation. The fruit has a low sugar content and includes miracle, a glycoprotein molecule. The glycoprotein adheres to the taste bud on the tongue when the fleshy section of the fruit is eaten, making sour meals taste sweet. While the specific mechanism of this shift is uncertain, it is thought that the glycoprotein miraculin operates by altering sweet receptors, causing them to respond to acids rather than sugar and other sweet substances. Because of its flavor modifying and non-caloric properties, miraculin could be used as a sweet fix for our palate. The use of miraculous berries or miraculin in the development of novel foods for dietitians and diabetics has the potential to change the health food sector. Because of its high vitamin C concentration, the fruit can also be used as an anti-cancer supplement. It has also been discovered to improve insulin sensitivity, suggesting that it could be utilized as an adjuvant in the treatment of diabetes individuals with insulin resistance. Its applications are intriguing because of the taste modification function, particularly as an alternative sweetener and antioxidant, as well as for treating chemotherapy patients' dyspepsia.The purpose of this project is to provide an overview of the miracle berry and miraculin, including its features, limitations, and current and potential applications in the food and therapeutic industries.

Key words : Miraculin ,Taste modifier, Miracle berry, Sweet fix, Diabetes.