Chemical subclass
Code:
CYGLY
Name:
Cyanogenic Glycosides
Chemical class:
Comment:
Cyanide occurs in the intact nut in bound form as a cyanogenic glycoside. The release of the "smell of bitter almonds" occurs only when the tissue is damaged, either through enzymatic or non-enzymatic hydrolysis of the glycoside. Most of the known glycosides are formed biosynthetically from protein amino acids, and are best classified according to their various amino acid precursors.