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Definition of "gossypol" [gossypol]

  • A toxic pigment, C30H30O8, obtained from cottonseed oil and detoxified by heating, that has been experimentally shown to inhibit sperm production. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "gossypol" in a sentence
  • "However, the eggs' hardness could be a natural occurrence, caused by hens consuming large amounts of food enriched with a compound called gossypol, which binds to protein in egg yolks, Xinhua said."
  • "A paper published online on May 5 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry describes how BI-97C1, an optically pure derivative of a cottonseed extract called gossypol, inhibits all six anti-apoptotic Bcl -2 family proteins."
  • "Cotton seeds are packed with protein but regular plants produce a toxic chemical called gossypol which can damage our liver and heart."