picrotoxin

[ pik-ruh-tok-sin ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Pharmacology.

a white, crystalline, bitter, poisonous, central nervous system stimulant, C 3 0 H 3 4 O 1 3 , obtained from the seeds of Anamirta cocculus: used chiefly in the treatment of barbiturate poisoning.

picrotoxin

/ ˌpɪkrəˈtɒksɪn /

a bitter poisonous crystalline compound formerly used as an antidote for barbiturate poisoning. Formula: C 30 H 34 O 13

1865–70; < Greek pikr ( ós ) bitter + -o- + toxin

Picrotoxinin exists in picrotoxin in the proportion of 32 to 100, and may be separated by boiling in benzine.

It contains a bitter poisonous principle, picrotoxin, used in small doses to control the night sweats of phthisis.

For the reaction to succeed, the picrotoxin should be tolerably pure.

On evaporation of the solvent the crude picrotoxin can be crystallised out of water, and its properties examined.

Concentrated aqueous solutions of alkalies and ammonia decompose picrotoxin fully on warming.

April 24, 2024gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

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