Cymarin

/ˈsɪmərɪn/ noun

Definition

A toxic cardiac glycoside compound found in plants of the dogbane and milkweed families, used medicinally in small doses.

Etymology

From Cymaria (a genus of plants) + -in (suffix for chemical compounds). The substance was isolated from plants and named for its botanical source, following 19th-century pharmaceutical naming conventions.

Kelly Says

Cymarin is nature's paradox—the same compound that can stop a heart in large doses can treat heart problems in tiny amounts! This is why traditional plant medicines were both miracle cures and poisons.

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