Brucine

/bruːˈsiːn/ noun

Definition

Another variant spelling or form of the alkaloid brucin, found in brucia and strychnos plants.

Etymology

An alternative spelling showing the transition from '-ina' to '-ine' endings in English chemical nomenclature, as chemists standardized compound naming in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Kelly Says

Chemistry became much more international when scientists settled on 'brucine' instead of 'brucina'—one spelling in English, French, and German textbooks suddenly made research easier to share globally.

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