Blood and Wine

From: www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de

"Glycosides, or sugar ethers, are a complex grouping which can be broken down to yield one or more sugars (glycones), plus a non-sugar component (aglycones)."

"Some phytochemical groups, such as anthraquinone phenols, normally do contain glycosides, so they are nicknamed anthraquinone glycosides."

anthraquinone glycosides, nown primarily for their laxative actions, were found after the aglycones (a non-sugar component) of anthraquinones had been obtained upon hydrolysis. Both glycones and aglycones of anthracene derivation are polyphenols containing the red or purple pigment found in senna, cascara, rheum, and aloe, for example."

Flavonoid glycosides are yellow pigments in flowers and plants which have demonstrated antiinflammatory, anti-allergic effects, antithrombotic and vasoprotective properties. These plant constituents exert antioxidant effects on free radicals in the body. Related to flavonoid glycosides are the anthocyanidins and anthocyanins, mentioned under the phenol heading.

Lactone glycosides, a.k.a. Coumarin glycosides are very fragrant: they are the source, for instance, of freshly-mown hay scents (ibid.). Medicinally, coumarin glycosides have been shown to have hemorrhagic, antifungicidal, and antitumor activities. The lactone glycoside dicumarol is known as an anticoagulant.

Cyanogenic glycosides, which initially contain hydrogen cyanide (HCN) compounds, are toxic to unadapted farm animals and humans. However, some have been found to be of cytotoxic interest in cancer research. Originally, these glycosides were probably developed so that a plant could defend itself from herbivores. The cyanide content, referred to as a bound toxin, only occurs in some of the 1000 or so plants which initially produce cyanohydrin upon hydrolysis (Harborne and Baxter, 84). Detection of the presence of cyanide is accomplished through smell or by its yellow to brownish-red reaction with moist picrate paper. Prunasin, to illustrate, is a cyanogenic glycoside occurring in Wild Cherry Bark, a botanical which has been used since the late 1700's as a cough sedative and medicinal flavorant (Evans, 538). Diagnostic caution: if the amygdalin is present with benzaldehyde following hydrolysis, the agent is an aldehyde glycoside.

From: wikipedia

Anthraquinone glycosides

These glycosides contain an aglycone group that is a derivative of anthraquinone. They are present in senna, rhubarb and aloes; they have a laxative effect.

Coumarin glycosides

Here the aglycone is coumarin. An example is apterin which is reported to dilate the coronary arteries as well as block calcium channels.those obtained from dried leaves of Psoralia corylifolia have Main glycosides psoralin and corylifolin.

Cyanogenic glycosides

In this case, the aglycone contains a cyanide group, and the glycoside can release the poisonous hydrogen cyanide if acted upon by some enzyme. An example of these is amygdalin from almonds. Cyanogenic glycosides can be found in the fruits (and wilting leaves) of the rose family (including cherries, apples, plums, almonds, peaches, apricots, raspberries, and crabapples). Cassava, an important food plant in Africa and South America, contains cyanogenic glucosides and therefore has to be washed and ground under running water prior to consumption.