Helixin

/ˈhɛlɪksɪn/ noun

Definition

A type of bitter glycoside compound found in plants, particularly in Helix genus plants, historically used in traditional medicine.

Etymology

From 'helix' (the plant genus or the spiral shape) + '-in' (chemical compound suffix). Named for its original plant source or helical molecular structure.

Kelly Says

Helixin is one of thousands of plant compounds with 'in' suffixes that chemists isolated in the 1800s—each one a unique molecule hiding in plants, waiting to be discovered and tested for medicinal properties.

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