betaine
[ bee-tuh-een, -in; bih-tey-een, -in ]
/ ˈbi təˌin, -ɪn; bɪˈteɪ in, -ɪn /
noun Chemistry, Pharmacology.
a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble, sweet-tasting alkaloid, C5H11NO2, usually obtained from sugar beets or synthesized from glycine, used chiefly in medicine.
Also
be·ta·in
[bee-tuh-in, bih-tey-] /ˈbi tə ɪn, bɪˈteɪ-/.
Words nearby betaine
Example sentences from the Web for betaine
A hydrochlorate, a sulphate, an aurochloride, and a platinic chloride of betaine have been prepared.
It is a product of the decomposition of choline, betaine, and neuridine, when these substances are distilled with potash.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection |Alexander Wynter BlythBetaine and choline often occur together in the germs of many plants.
The Chemistry of Plant Life |Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher
British Dictionary definitions for betaine
betaine
/ (ˈbiːtəˌiːn, -ɪn, bɪˈteɪiːn, -ɪn) /
noun
a sweet-tasting alkaloid that occurs in the sugar beet and other plants and in animals. Formula: C 5 H 11 NO 2
(plural)
a group of chemical compounds that resemble betaine and are slightly basic zwitterions
Word Origin for betaine
C19: from New Latin
Bēta beet +
-ine ²
Medical definitions for betaine
betaine
[ bē′tə-ēn′, -ĭn ]
n.
A sweet crystalline alkaloid found in sugar beets and other plants, used to treat homocystinuria and other disorders.
Scientific definitions for betaine
betaine
[ bē′tə-ēn′, -ĭn ]
Any of a class of organic salts that are derived from amino acids and have a cationic (positively charged) component that consists of a nitrogen atom attached to three methyl (CH3) groups.
A salt of this class that is a sweet crystalline alkaloid first found in sugar beets but also widely occurring in other plants and in animals. Betaine is used in the treatment of muscular weakness and degeneration. Chemical formula: C5H11NO2.