These substances once called "glucosides", are a group of organic compounds found in abundance in the plant kingdom. They are made from a combination of simple sugars (monosaccharides) and a non-carbon/hydrogen component. The sugars involved may be glucose, rhamnose, xylose, fructose or any other sugar while the residue may be a sterol, terpene, anthraquinone or other substances.

Some glycosides are valuable heart treatments and are called cardiac glycosides. These include derivatives of digitalis, a natural substance commonly used in medicine for the treatment of heart ailments.

One of the important glycosides in Noni Juice is Asperuloside. Traditionally this glycoside has been used for diuresis (reducing water retention), treating inflammation and varicose veins and phlebitis. Research has indicated that it is anticlastogenic (that is, prevents the breakage of chromosomes), as a result it is anti-mutagenic or resists mutation within the cell's DNA.