chlorogenic acid

[ klawr-uh-jen-ik, klohr-, klawr-, klohr- ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a colorless crystalline acid, C 16 H 18 O 9 , that is important in plant metabolism and is purportedly responsible for the browning or blackening of cut apples, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chlorogenic acid¹

1885–90; chloro- ¹ + -genic; so named because in an ammonia solution it turns green when exposed to air