Product name: Apricot Extract
Latin name: Semen Armeniacae Amarum
Active ingredient: Amygdalin

Apricot is often referred to the fruit of the tree that classified under the Prunus species of Rosaceae family of the Rosales group, named Semen Armeniacae Amarum. The apricot fruit has high economic value as it is been used in the production of oils, benzaldehyde, cosmetics, active carbon, aroma perfume, and for medicinal purposes. The Apricot kernels are known for containing amygdalin, a poisonous compound that, together with the related synthetic compound laetrile, has been marketed as an alternative cancer treatment. However, studies have found the compounds to be ineffective in the treatment of cancer, as well as potentially toxic or lethal when taken by mouth, due to cyanide Poisoning.

Amygdalin, also known as laevomandelonitrile or laetrile, is a cyanogenic glycoside derived from the aromatic amino acid phenylalanine. It is most abundant in the seeds or kernels of apricot also known as bitter almonds, peach, and plum. Since the early 1950s, a modified form of amygdalin has been promoted under the names laetrile and “Vitamin B17” as a cancer cure. In reality, neither amygdalin nor any derivative such as laetrile is in any sense a vitamin.