amygdalin

[ uh-mig-duh-lin ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Chemistry, Pharmacology.

a white, bitter-tasting, water-soluble, glycosidic powder, C 20 H 27 NO 11 , usually obtained from bitter almond seeds and the leaves of plants of the genus Prunus and related genera: used chiefly in medicine as an expectorant.

amygdalin

/ əˈmɪɡdəlɪn /

a white soluble bitter-tasting crystalline glycoside extracted from bitter almonds and stone fruits such as peaches and apricots. Formula: C 6 H 5 CHCNOC 12 H 21 O 10

1645–55; < Latin amygdal ( a ) almond + -in ²

Amygdalin, Amygdaline, a-mig′da-lin, n. a crystalline principle existing in the kernel of bitter almonds.

Emulsine has the property of being able to hydrolyse the glucoside amygdalin to glucose, benzaldehyde, and hydrocyanic acid.

Amygdalin was first discovered in 1830, and was one of the first substances to be recognized as a glucoside.

In the amygdalin molecule, it exists in the dextro form, which has been named "prunasin."

It is, therefore, similar to amygdalin, except that one glucose molecule is replaced by arabinose.

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