Galantamine bulbs of "Galanthus nivalis" (common snowdrop) by the Bulgarian chemist D. Paskov and his team in 1956. The active ingredient was extracted, identified, and studied, in particular in relation to its acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibiting properties. The first industrial process was developed in 1959. In addition to uses in Alzheimer's disease, galantamine has been used to treat myasthenia, myopathy, muscular dystrophy, and sensory and motor dysfunction associated with disorders of the central nervous system. In Homer's "Odyssey" the god Hermes gives Odysseus an herb with "a black root, but milklike flower" called "moly", which Hermes claims will make Odysseus immune to the
Chlamydomonas nivalis begins and remain a cyst until the spring. This alga is an interesting organism for researchers in various fields to study due to its possible role in lowering global albedo, ability to survive in extreme environments, and production of commercially relevant compounds. Additionally, its life cycle is still being studied today in an effort to better understand this organism and amend previous classification errors. The name "Chlamydomonas nivalis" is of Latin origin. It translates to ‘found growing in or near snow’. The Latin meaning describes the organism well as this species of algae are only found associated with snow or