AN ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY AND IMMUNOBLOT ANALYSIS FOR CURCULIN, A NEW TYPE OF TASTE-MODIFYING PROTEIN - CROSS-REACTIVITY OF CURCULIN AND MIRACULIN TO BOTH ANTIBODIES

We have developed an enzyme immunoassay method for curculin, a new type of taste-modifying protein. This method can accurately quantify 0.05-20 ng of curculin, a sensitivity about 3000-times that of the psychometric method. The content of curculin in the fruit of Curculigo latifolia increased gradually until 3 weeks after artificial pollination and dramatically at 4 weeks, to finally reach 1.3 mg per fruit. Immunoblot analysis indicated that antiserum to curculin was faintly reactive with miraculin, but not with thaumatin or monellin.