Cyanogenic glycosides in plants

The Biosynthesis of Cyanogenic Glycosides in Higher Plants

An enzyme which catalyzes the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to a-hydroxyisobutyronitrile (acetone cyanohydrin) has been isolated from flax seedlings (Zinum usifafissimum L). The product of this reaction was shown to be identical with linamarin, one of the two cyanogenic glucosides produced by the flax plant. The partially purified UDP-glucose-ketone cyanohydrm /3-glucosyltransferase exhi...

Cyanogenic Glycosides in Plant Foods

Cyanogenic and non-cyanogenic glycosides from Manihot esculenta.

In addition to lotaustralin and linamarin, a novel cyanogenic glycoside, 2-((6-O-(beta-D-apiofuranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy)-2-met hylbutanenitrile , two novel non-cyanogenic glycosides, (2S)-((6-O-(beta-D-apiofuranosyl)-beta-D- glucopyranosyl)oxy)butane and 2-((6-O-(beta-D-apiofuranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy)propane, and a simple non-cyanogenic glycoside, ethyl beta-D-glucopyranosid...

Temporal and spatial variation in cyanogenic glycosides in Eucalyptus cladocalyx.

The release of hydrogen cyanide from endogenous cyanide-containing compounds in plants is an effective herbivore deterrent. We investigated temporal and spatial variations in cyanogenic glycoside concentration in greenhouse-grown seedlings and 6-year-old plantation trees of Eucalyptus cladocalyx F. Muell., which allocates up to 20% of leaf nitrogen to the cyanogenic glycoside, prunasin. The hig...

Frequency and distribution of cyanogenic glycosides in Eucalyptus L'Hérit.

In this study approximately 420 of the described species of Eucalyptus were examined for cyanogenesis. Our work has identified an additional 18 cyanogenic species, 12 from living tissues and a further six from herbarium samples. This brings the total of known cyanogenic species to 23, representing approximately 4% of the genus. The taxonomic distribution of the species within the genus is restr...