A betaine (BEET-uh-een, bē'tə-ēn', -ĭn) na kemịkalụ bụ kemịkalụ kemịkalụ ọ bụla na-anọpụ iche nwere otu ọrụ cationic nwere ebubo nke ọma dị ka ammonium quaternary ma ọ bụ phosphonium cation (n'ozuzu: onium ion) nke na-ebu mba. hydrogen atom yana otu ndị na-arụ ọrụ ebubo na-adịghị mma dị ka otu carboxylate nke nwere ike ọ gaghị adị n'akụkụ saịtị cationic. Ya mere, betain nwere ike ịbụ ụdị zwitterion. N'akụkọ ihe mere eme, e debere okwu ahụ maka naanị trimethylglycine. A na-ejikwa ya dị ka ọgwụ. Na usoro ndu, ọtụtụ betaines na-emekarị na-eje ozi dị ka organic osmolytes, ihe ndị a na-emepụta ma ọ bụ na-ebuli na gburugburu ebe obibi site na mkpụrụ ndụ maka nchebe pụọ na nrụgide osmotic, ụkọ mmiri ozuzo, nnukwu salinity ma ọ bụ okpomọkụ dị elu. Nchịkọta intracellular nke betaines, nke na-adịghị emetụta ọrụ enzyme, nhazi protein na iguzosi ike n'ihe akpụkpọ ahụ, na-enye ohere ijide mmiri n'ime sel, si otú a na-echebe pụọ na mmetụta nke akpịrị ịkpọ nkụ. Ọ bụkwa a methyl donor nke esiwanye ghọtara pụtara na biology.Betaine bụ ihe alkaloid na ike hygroscopicity, otú ọ na-emekarị na-emeso na mgbochi-caking gị n'ụlọnga na mmepụta usoro. Ọdịdị molekụla ya na mmetụta ngwa ya adịchaghị iche na nke betaine eke, ọ bụkwa nke ihe okike ya na njikọ kemịkalụ.Betaine bụ onyinye methyl dị irè nke ukwuu nke nwere ike dochie methionine na choline. Dochie methionine iji melite arụmọrụ mmepụta yana belata ọnụ ahịa nri.