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bioactive

bioactive

1 6.6
Causing a change in living cells or living things
  • adjective
  • /ˌbaɪoʊˈæktɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bioactivo
  • Researchers discovered a bioactive substance in the extract that enhances the healing of tissues.
  • bioactive compounds
  • natural bioactive

Examples

  • The incorporation of bioactive compounds enriched plant materials in foods proved to be the best strategy against the ailments (Ramaa et al., 2006).

    Academic text (2015)
  • Sulforaphane (SFN) is an abundant bioactive isothiocyanate found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts and is an important chemopreventive agent.

    Academic text (2017)
  • High surface area bioactive pollen;

    Academic text (2001)
  • Prospecting for plants with bioactive compounds was, in some ways, a random, haphazard process earlier in this century than it was a structured, focused process.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Various bioactive compounds are being included in the spinning dopes, and their activity in the spun fibers is under investigation.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is also available from plants, but D3 is a much more bioactive form.

    Blog text (8)
  • Natural sources (i.e., plants, vegetables, fruits) are rich in phytochemicals and bioactive constituents that are widely reported to have health-promoting activities for human benefits.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Sulforaphane is a powerful bioactive compound found in broccoli that can help protect cells from damage.

  • The scientists studied how bioactive ingredients in plants can improve human health and well-being.

Antonyms

inactive
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Not taking part in a chemical reaction

How Active

toxic
380 4.0
potent
119 5.5
bioactive
  • Specialized
1 6.6
weak
69 1.0
inactive
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Surface Forms

bioactive positive

Morphology

bioactive = active (semi-transparent) = bio + active

The word is built from the scientific prefix bio- and the adjective active, but the meaning is specialized to biological systems rather than a fully literal everyday combination.

Etymology

Bioactive comes from bio- meaning 'life' (as in biology) and active meaning 'doing'. So something bioactive is 'doing' work in living things — it affects living cells or whole organisms.