Comprehensive Analytical and Electrochemical Strategies for Glycoside Analysis and Detection

Glycosides represent 16.19% of natural products documented in the dictionary of natural products (DNP), forming a diverse group of secondary metabolites in various plant parts. Structurally, glycosides comprise sugar moieties and aglycones, playing crucial roles in biological systems including cellular stability, enzyme recognition, and defense mechanisms. They exhibit broad pharmacological properties, such as antiviral, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects, often mediated by glycosylation. The identification of glycosides is important for evaluating their potential toxicity and the health risks related to their consumption. Analytical techniques, including chromatographic and electrochemical methods, are central to identifying and quantifying glycosides in biological matrices. Several analytical techniques are examined, including spectroscopic, chromatographic, and electrochemical methods to quantify quercetin glycosides in various samples. UV-vis spectrophotometry is simple and cost-effective; however, it does not offer high selectivity. Chromatographic techniques such as HPLC and GC provide both selectivity and sensitivity, whereas electrochemical methods are known for their high resolution and low detection limits. This review aims to examine the methodologies for determining glycosides in various matrices, focusing on pharmaceutical and biological specimens. Moreover, this study also offers an analytical basis for the development and use of methods for analysing glycosides in real samples.