1. A toxic alkaloid drug derived from the Calabar bean, used medically to treat glaucoma and myasthenia gravis by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.
Usage: Also called physostigmine; Medical/pharmaceutical term; Less commonly used in modern practice

Examples

• Eserine was historically one of the first drugs used to treat glaucoma.
• The ophthalmologist prescribed eserine eye drops to reduce intraocular pressure.
• Eserine works by preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine in the nervous system.
• Modern treatments have largely replaced eserine in clinical practice.
• Eserine is derived from the seeds of the Calabar bean plant native to West Africa.