Amarogentin

Amarogentin

Amarogentin, whose gross or molecular formula is: C29H30O13, belongs to the secoiridoids, a class of phenolic compounds which stimulate the gustatory receptors for the bitter taste and which, in combination with the alkaloids (with a tonic, invigorating, gastric juices and appetite) make gentian one of the most effective natural digestives known.
Amarogentin is in fact found in some plants such as, precisely, in (Gentiana lutea L., 1753) and in the Indian medicinal plant Swertia chirayita which is a plant used for some time in Ayurvedic medicine as a bitter tonic in the treatment of fever and for various skin diseases.
Amarogentin has been classified as the bitterest natural molecule isolated to date; this active ingredient has a bitterness index of 58,000,000, maintaining a perceptible bitterness to the taste up to dilutions in water in the ratio of 1 to 20,000.

Properties and uses –
Amarogentin, as mentioned, together with the bitter principles of gentian, through the stimulation of the gustatory receptors, cause an increase in gastric and salivary secretion, thus helping to improve appetite and digestion in one fell swoop.
For this reason, if the gentian is taken before meals it is therefore an excellent aperitif, thanks to its stomachic properties. For the digestive phase, the absence of tannins and starch in the active ingredients amarogentin and genziopicrin means that the bitter-tonic action is not irritating to the body.
We also recall that amarogentine has pharmaceutical properties in the treatment of leishmaniasis, as it is able to eradicate the Leishmania donovani parasite that causes it, by inhibiting the action of DNA topoisomerase I, and also has chemopreventive properties.
Furthermore, this molecule also has a protective activity of the liver against carbon tetrachloride poisoning.

Warning: The information provided is not medical advice and may not be accurate. The contents are for illustrative purposes only and do not replace medical advice.