The Bitterest Substance on the Planet: What Scientists Discovered About the Wood Mushroom.

According to ТСН: Scientists have discovered a mushroom that contains the bitterest known substance – Amaropostia stiptica. This wood mushroom has attracted significant attention from researchers due to its intense flavor.

A team of taste physiologists and biochemists conducted a study on the molecular composition of the mushroom and found three new bitter compounds. One of them, oligoporin D, was found to be so potent that it can activate the bitter taste receptor TAS2R46 even at very low concentrations. According to the scientists, this substance can be detected even in a solution diluted in a massive Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The discovered compounds were tested on laboratory cells that mimic taste receptors. The results showed that each of them activates at least one of the 25 known bitter taste receptors, which typically make us instinctively spit out food with a strong unpleasant taste.

Researchers also emphasize that a bitter taste does not always indicate danger. Amaropostia stiptica is not toxic, whereas some deadly mushrooms can taste pleasant. This raises questions about the established assumption that bitterness serves only to protect against toxic products.

Interestingly, bitter taste receptors are located not only on the tongue – they can also be found in the stomach, large intestine, and even in the skin, where they perform different functions.

Researchers highlight that expanding the database of natural bitter compounds may help better understand how these receptors work and the role they play in the body. In the long term, this could have practical applications, particularly for creating products that positively affect digestion and the feeling of fullness.

In addition, a unique giant creature has been discovered in the World Ocean for the first time. Oceanographers filmed a rare phantom jellyfish, Stygiomedusa gigantea, which is dubbed the 'ghost of the abyss' due to its ghostly appearance.

These new discoveries in microbiology and oceanography demonstrate how complex and multifaceted the world around us can be. The study of mushrooms and marine creatures opens new horizons for scientists and may lead to practical applications in nutrition and medicine.