Pharmacognosy with the Basics of Plant Biochemistry - Kovalyov V. M. 2004

Special Part
Glycosides
Medicinal plants and raw materials containing cyanogenic glycosides

BITTER ALMOND SEEDS — SEMINA AMYGDALI AMARAE

Common almond, bitter form — Amygdalus communis L. f. amara DC., family Rosaceae — Rosaceae

Bitter almond; the name originates from the Latinized Greek amygdalos (almond), possibly derived from the Syrian al-mugdala, meaning "a beautiful tree."

Plant. A branched shrub or small tree. It features Two Types of shoots: elongated vegetative and shortened generative ones. Leaves are alternate, lanceolate, serrate, and acuminate. Flowers are actinomorphic, five-petaled, bisexual, solitary or paired; petals are white or pale pink. The fruit is a drupe. Seeds are ovoid-oblong, flattened, up to 2 cm long, covered with a yellowish-brown rough seed coat, and consist of two large white oily cotyledons. The endosperm is very thin, remaining as a delicate film on the inner side of the seed coat. The seeds have a bitter taste, and chewing them releases the characteristic scent of benzaldehyde. There are two morphologically indistinguishable forms of the common almond: the sweet-tasting form (form dulcis) and the bitter one (f. amara).

Distribution. In Ukraine, it is cultivated in Crimea. In the wild, it grows in Turkmenistan, Armenia, and the Tien Shan mountains.

Collection and Harvesting. The fruits are harvested in autumn when fully ripe, sun-dried, and the seeds are extracted.

Chemical composition of Raw Material. The cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin (4–8%), fatty oil (30–40%), protein, sucrose (10%), glucose, Enzymes, Vitamins B₁, B₂, B₅, B₆, PP, and carotenoids.

Biological Activity and Application. Bitter almond Water, obtained from the press cake remaining after cold pressing of the fatty oil, is used in medicine. This water exhibits mild analgesic and sedative properties.