“ECTOPIC” GUSTATIVE AND OLFACTORY RECEPTORS IN THE
BRAIN – NEW TARGETS FOR NEURODEGENERATION THERAPY?
FENG IFRIM-CHEN #, DORIN DRAGOS #, MARIUS MOGA #*, ADRIAN BARBILIAN #, MIRCEA LUPUSORU #, ANA MARIA OPROIU #, ANTOINE EDU #, MARILENA GILCA #
Faculty of General Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, B-dul Eroilor Sanitari nr. 8, Sect. 6,
76241 Bucharest, Romania
*corresponding author: mariusmoga2001@yahoo.com
#All authors have equal contribution
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Abstract:
Taste receptors (TR), as well as olfactory receptors (OR), have been recently detected in human brain, but their roles in
nervous physiology are still unclear. The expression of these “ectopic” receptors is dysregulated in human subjects with
neurodegenerative diseases, in a gradient compatible with disease staging. Various plant-derived tastants proved
neuroprotective activity. Interestingly, in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), medicinal plants activities are dependent on
their flavour, which is the result of their blended gustative and olfactory properties. According with this ancient theory,
various flavours have specific systemic therapeutic effects, mediated by the flavour itself. Bitter, sweet and pungent
medicinal plants are used to treat neurodegenerative diseases in TCM. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the traditional
and modern knowledge on neurodegenerative diseases and to elaborate a new (ethno)pharmacological hypothesis according
to which one of the multiple mechanisms of action of the neuroprotective plant derived tastants may be mediated by the brain
TRs and ORs.

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