What is an Aglycone in Chemistry?

Aglycone is a term used in chemistry to describe the non-sugar part of a glycoside, which is a molecule composed of a sugar and a non-carbohydrate component. The aglycone is the non-carbohydrate portion of the glycoside that is attached to the sugar moiety through a glycosidic bond.

In other words, an aglycone is the "non-sugar" part of a glycoside, while the sugar moiety is called the "glycone". The aglycone can be a variety of compounds, such as an alcohol, phenol, or amine, and it is typically derived from a non-carbohydrate precursor.

For example, the antibiotic fusidic acid is a glycoside that contains a sugar moiety (a glucose molecule) and an aglycone portion (a phenol group). The glycosidic bond between the sugar and the aglycone is responsible for the compound's antibacterial activity.