aglycosides

Aglycosides are a class of chemical compounds that are related to glycosides but lack the sugar moiety. In a typical glycoside, a sugar molecule is bonded to a non-sugar organic molecule, known as the aglycone. When the sugar part is removed, what remains is the aglycone, which can also be referred to as an aglycoside. These compounds are often found naturally within plants and microorganisms.

The term aglycoside can also refer to molecules that were originally glycosides but have undergone hydrolysis, a process where water is used to break the bond between the sugar and the aglycone. This hydrolysis can occur naturally through enzymatic activity or chemically under specific conditions. The aglycone itself can possess various biological activities, independent of its glycosidic form. For example, many plant-derived compounds that are toxic or medicinal exist as glycosides in the plant but can exert their effects after being hydrolyzed to their aglycone form in the body.

The study of aglycosides is important in fields such as pharmacology, phytochemistry, and natural product chemistry, as it helps in understanding the structure, function, and potential applications of these molecules. The aglycone often represents the part of the molecule responsible for the primary biological activity.