3rd International Conference on Preventive Medicine (3rd ICPM), 24 November 2021, pp.35
Amygdalin is a cyanogenic glycoside, one of the secondary metabolites synthesized by most
plants for defense against diseases and pests. It was first isolated from bitter almond kernels.
Amygdalin is also called D(-)-mandelonitrile-β-D-gentiobioside, D(-)-amygdalin, R-amygdalin,
laetrile and vitamin B 17. As a result of acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis, toxic hydrogen cyanide
(HCN) in its structure is released. It contains benzaldehyde and D-mannitol-β-d-glucoside-6-βglucoside in addition to HCN. It is found in the seeds of plants such as apricot, almond, peach,
and plum belonging to the Rosaceae family. It can also be found in plants belonging to the
Caprifoliaceae, Mimosaceae, and Oleaceae families. It has been stated that amygdalin has
pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammation, analgesic, immunoregulation, antiatherosclerosis, anti-cardiac hypertrophy, and hypoglycemia effect. This compound is also used
for the treatment of diseases such as cough, asthma, nausea, leprosy, and leucoderma in Asia,
Europe, and other regions (1, 2, 3).
When amygdalin is taken orally, it is hydrolyzed by the effect of the β-glucosidase enzyme in
the digestive system, and HCN is released. Overconsumption of apricot seeds containing high
amounts of cyanogenic glycosides can cause acute or chronic poisoning in humans. However, in
recent years, this compound has attracted attention due to its anticancer agent potential and has
become the subject of many studies (4).
In this study, amygdalin contents of fruits belonging to the genotypes of chokeberries,
elderberries, and black mulberries were determined by HPLC. Lyophilized fruit samples were
carried out extraction with methanol, and the amygdalin contents of the extracts obtained were
quantitatively measured in the HPLC-DAD system. As a result of the measurement, the
amygdalin contents of the fruit samples ranged from 69,65 to 272.46 mg/100 g.