glycoside

Any of a wide variety of naturally occurring organic compounds in which a carbohydrate portion consisting of one or more sugars or sugar derivatives is combined with a hydroxy compound (a compound containing an -OH group). Since sugars themselves are hydroxy compounds, polysaccharides are glycosides by definition. Other glycosides include various flower and fruit pigments, several antibiotics (e.g., streptomycin), and the cardiac glycosides (see digitalis).

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