Aglycones

The non-sugar part of a glycoside molecule — for example, the anthocyanidin component that remains when the sugar is clipped from an anthocyanin. Enzymes or gut microbes free aglycones during digestion, and the freed form is often absorbed far better than its glycoside parent: soy isoflavone aglycones such as genistein are markedly more bioavailable, which is why fermented soy foods deliver more active phytoestrogens. The aglycone concept explains why processing and digestion can radically change a plant compound’s activity — the sugar is packaging, and the aglycone is the payload.