Cyanogenic glycosides

Amygdalin (from Ancient Greek: '''' 'almond') is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in many plants, most notably in the seeds (kernels, pips or stones) of apricots, bitter almonds, apples, peaches, cherries and plums, and in the roots of manioc.

Linamarin is a cyanogenic glucoside found in the leaves and roots of plants such as cassava, lima beans, and flax. It is a glucoside of acetone cyanohydrin. Upon exposure to enzymes and gut flora in the human intestine, linamarin and its methylated relative lotaustralin can decompose to the toxic chemical hydrogen cyanide; hence food uses of plants that contain significant quantities of linamarin require extensive preparation and detoxification. Ingested and absorbed linamarin is rapidly excreted in the urine and the glucoside itself does not appear to be acutely toxic. Consumption of cassava

'(R)-prunasin' is a cyanogenic glycoside related to amygdalin. Chemically, it is the glucoside of (R)-mandelonitrile.

Dhurrin is a cyanogenic glycoside produced in many plants. Discovered in multiple sorghum varieties in 1906 as the culprit of cattle poisoning by hydrogen cyanide, dhurrin is most typically associated with Sorghum bicolor, the organism used for mapping the biosynthesis of dhurrin from tyrosine. Dhurrin's name is derived from the Arabic word for sorghum.

Lotaustralin is a cyanogenic glucoside found in small amounts in Fabaceae austral trefoil (Lotus australis), cassava (Manihot esculenta), lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), roseroot (Rhodiola rosea) and white clover (Trifolium repens), among other plants. Lotaustralin is the glucoside of methyl ethyl ketone cyanohydrin and is structurally related to linamarin, the acetone cyanohydrin glucoside also found in these plants. Both lotaustralin and linamarin may be hydrolyzed by the enzyme linamarase to form glucose and a precursor to the toxic compound hydrogen cyanide.

Vicianin is a cyanogenic disaccharide.

Simmondsin is a component of jojoba seeds (pronounced "ho-HO-bah") (Simmondsia chinensis). While it had been considered toxic due to jojoba seed meal causing weight loss in animals, in recent years its appetite suppressant effect has also been researched as a potential treatment for obesity. It is thought to reduce appetite by increasing levels of cholecystokinin.