General and Systematic Veterinary Pharmacology

GLYCOSIDES

• Glycosides are non-nitrogenous substances obtained from plants.
• The glycosides on hydrolysis yield two molecules namely a sugar molecule and a ‘genine’ or ‘aglycone’ molecule.
• Sugar helps in the dissolution of the preparation while the pharmacological action rests with the ‘aglycone’.
• When the sugar molecule is glucose, the glycoside is known as glucoside.
• Cardiac glycosides digitalis, strophanthus and squill play a major role in the treatment of congestive cardiac failure.
• Cyanogenetic glycoside is one in which hydrocyanic acid is released on glycolysis.