Definition
Plain language
A leftover substance the body produces after breaking something down.
As stated in the literature
A product of metabolic processing of a parent compound; naming one as a synthesis precursor is chemically nonsensical, which is why such examples are safe to print.
Also called: metabolites
Why it matters: Understanding that these are downstream products, not starting materials, is why naming one as an ingredient is an obvious tell that instructions will not work.
For example, caffeine is broken down in the body into other compounds, and those leftovers are its metabolites.
Heard on the show
“A precursor that's actually a metabolite.”Episode 244 — The Open-Weight Defense That Feeds Attackers Confident, Falsified Answers