Betaine, izwi kandi nka glycine trimethyl internal salt, ni ikintu karemano kidahumanya kandi kitagize ingaruka mbi, alkaloid ya quaternary amine. Ni kristalo yera cyangwa imeze nk'amababi ifite formula ya molekile c5h12no2, uburemere bwa molekile bwa 118 n'urugero rwo gushonga rwa 293 ℃. Iryoshye kandi ni ikintu gisa na vitamine. Ifite ubushobozi bwo kubika amazi kandi byoroshye kwinjiza amazi n'ubushyuhe mu bushyuhe bw'icyumba. Ubwoko bw'amazi bushongeshwa mu mazi, methanol na ethanol, kandi bushongeshwa gato muri ether. Betaine ifite imiterere ikomeye ya shimi, ishobora kwihanganira ubushyuhe bwinshi bwa 200 ℃ kandi ifite ubushobozi bwo kurwanya oxidation. Ubushakashatsi bwagaragaje kobetaineishobora gusimbura igice cya methionine mu mikorere y'inyamaswa.

Betaineishobora gusimbura burundu methionine mu gutanga methyl. Ku ruhande rumwe, methionine ikoreshwa nk'igice cyo gukora poroteyine, naho ku rundi ruhande, igira uruhare mu ihinduka rya methyl nk'umutanga methyl.Betaineishobora guteza imbere imikorere ya betaine homocysteine ​​methyltransferase mu mwijima no gutanga methyl ikora hamwe, bityo homocysteine ​​ishobora kuba methylated kugira ngo ikore methionine kuva ku ntangiriro, bityo igatanga methyl mu buryo buhoraho kugira ngo umubiri uhinduke hamwe na methionine nke nk'umutwaro na betaine nk'isoko ya methyl. Hanyuma, methionine nyinshi ikoreshwa mu gukora poroteyine, zishobora kuzigama methionine no gukoresha imbaraga. Hamwe na hamwe, betaine irushaho kwangirika nyuma yo kuba methylated kugira ngo ikore serine na glycine, hanyuma yongera ubwinshi bwa aside amine mu maraso (kamoun, 1986).

Betaine yongereye ibikubiye muri methionine, serine na glycine muri serum. Puchala n'abandi. Yagize ingaruka nk'izo ku intama. Betaine ishobora kongeramo aside amine nka arginine, methionine, leucine na glycine muri serum n'ingano yose ya aside amine muri serum, hanyuma ikagira ingaruka ku isohoka rya auxin;Betainebishobora guteza imbere ihinduka rya aside aspartike muri aside n-methylaspartike (NMA) binyuze mu mikorere ikomeye ya methyl, kandi NMA ishobora kugira ingaruka ku miterere n'isohoka rya auxin muri hypothalamus, hanyuma urwego rwa auxin mu mubiri.