Ergotine

/ˈɜːɡətaɪn/ noun

Definition

An alternative name for ergotin, a mixture of alkaloid compounds from ergot fungus with medicinal properties.

Etymology

From 'ergot' plus the chemical suffix '-ine'. This variant nomenclature reflects historical variation in naming pharmaceutical extracts before standardized chemical terminology was established.

Kelly Says

Ergotine and ergotin are basically the same thing—both names refer to the brownish powder that medieval healers scraped off infected grain, not knowing they were harvesting one of chemistry's most powerful compounds.

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