Swainsonine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A poisonous alkaloid produced by certain plants such as locoweeds and milk vetches, causing neurological damage in livestock and other animals that consume them
2. A toxic alkaloid present in various plants of the legume family that accumulates in animal tissues and damages the nervous system when ingested
3. An alkaloid poison found in locoweed and related plants that impairs brain and nerve function in grazing animals that eat contaminated vegetation

Etymology: Swainsonine is named after the plant genus Swainsona, which takes its name from the English botanist and illustrator William Swainson, and the "-ine" ending is the chemists' standard suffix for alkaloids and other nitrogen-containing compounds. The compound was thus named for the plants that produce it rather than for any person who discovered it, so the name is a botanical tribute plus a chemical label. The toxin's link to its namesake plants is the real story. Swainsona species, native to Australia and sometimes called "locoweed" or "swainsona pea", contain swainsonine, and livestock that graze on them can develop neurological symptoms. The name therefore records a plant genus that became known for an alkaloid, not an arbitrary coinage.