noun
- An alkaloid compound extracted from the bark of certain South American trees, formerly used in medicine as a tonic and stimulant.
Usage: archaic; chemistry/pharmacology; also spelled beberine
Examples
- Bebeerine was once marketed as a medicinal extract in the nineteenth century.
- The alkaloid bebeerine was derived from tropical tree bark.
- Early pharmacists experimented with bebeerine as a potential treatment for various ailments.