Definitions for cucurbitacin
cu·cur·bitacin

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. cucurbitacinnoun

   Any of a class of bitter steroids, found in plants of the family Cucurbitaceae, that prevent them being eaten by herbivores

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Cucurbitacin

   Cucurbitacin is a class of biochemical compounds that some plants – notably members of the pumpkin and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae – produce and which function as a defence against herbivores. Cucurbitacins are chemically classified as triterpenes, formally derived from cucurbitane, a triterpene hydrocarbon – specifically, from the unsaturated variant cucurbit-5-ene, or 19(10→9β)-abeo-10α-lanost-5-ene. They often occur as glycosides. They and their derivatives have been found in many plant families (including Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Begoniaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Datiscaceae, Desfontainiaceae, Polemoniaceae, Primulaceae, Rubiaceae, Sterculiaceae, Rosaceae, and Thymelaeaceae), in some mushrooms (including Russula and Hebeloma) and even in some marine mollusks. Cucurbitacins may be a taste deterrent in plants foraged by some animals and in some edible plants preferred by humans, like cucumbers and zucchinis. In laboratory research, cucurbitacins have cytotoxic properties and are under study for their potential biological activity.

WikidataRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Cucurbitacin

   Cucurbitacin is any of a class of biochemical compounds that some plants — notably members of the family Cucurbitaceae, that includes the common pumpkins and gourds — developed in order to defend themselves from herbivores. Cucurbitacins are chemically classified as steroids, formally derived from cucurbitane, a triterpene hydrocarbon — specifically, from the unsaturated variant cucurbita-5-ene, or 19--abeo-10α-lanost-5-ene. They often occur as glycosides. Cucurbitacins are generally cytotoxic and poisonous to some animals, and some of them are among the bitterest tastes to humans. They and their derivatives have been found in many plant families, in some mushrooms and even in some marine mollusks.

How to pronounce cucurbitacin?

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Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of cucurbitacin in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of cucurbitacin in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

References

1. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Cucurbitacin
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucurbitacin
3. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=cucurbitacin