Y. Murata et Nu. Sata, Isolation and structure of pulcherrimine, a novel bitter-tasting amino acid, from the sea urchin (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus) ovaries, J AGR FOOD, 48(11), 2000, pp. 5557-5560
A novel sulfur-containing amino acid, pulcherrimine, has been isolated as a
bitter principle from ovaries of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus
. The structure was elucidated as 4-(2'-carboxy-2'-hydroxy-ethylthio)-2-pip
eridinecarboxylic acid by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Absolute ster
eochemistry was determined by NOE experiments and chiral HPLC analysis. Pul
cherrimine exhibited bitterness with a threshold value of 0.306 mM.