Amygdalin (Vitamin B17) is a cyanide-containing diglucoside derived from bitter almonds (Prunus dulcis) and apricot pits and is structurally related to Vitamin B17. The monoglucoside prunasin is the precursor to Amygdalin. In the 1950s, Amygdalin was a proposed anti-cancer agent; however, its use is avoided due to its cytotoxicity. It may be used as a substrate to characterize enzymes such as maltase(s), emulsin(s), and β-glucosidase(s). Amygdalin is freely soluble in water.
