#definitely one of the most special fruits I've eaten and i can testify that it works haha

[fungus-gnats]

my "miracle fruit" plant, Synsepalum dulcificum, is fruiting :3

these fruits make sour foods taste sweet! they contain miraculin, a glycoprotein which binds to the membrane of the sweet taste receptor and causes acidic foods (etc. lemons) to be perceived as sweet.

At neutral pH, miraculin binds to hT1R2-hT1R3 (sweet taste receptor), which may inhibit further receptor activation by a second sweet-tasting compound, thus dampening the sweetness of another substance (note: some studies report no change in perceived sweetness). At low pH levels (acidic, e.g. 4.8-6.5), miraculin is activated by H+ ions - the conformational change in shape of miraculin allows for its active site (the carbohydrate part of the molecule) to bind to the hT1R2 unit of the hT1R2-hT1R3 sweet receptor. This activates the receptor, and we register a sweet taste.

The effect may last from 30s to 2h, as the action of miraculin produces a sweet taste each time a sour food is tasted, until salivary amylase dissociates the miraculin from taste receptors.

Overall, miracle fruits decrease the perceived sourness and increase the sweetness in acidic foods, as well as alters the perception of sweet, bitter, and salty tastes at low pH conditions :)

sources under the cut: