PHENOLIC β-D-glucopyranosides have been synthesized by incubating phenols with plant enzymes in the presence of uridine diphosphate glucose1–5. All attempts to form β-D-glucosides by the enzymatic transfer of D-glucose from ‘low-energy’ donors (such as disaccharides, α-D-glucose-1-phosphate and simple β-D-glucosides) have so far failed using higher plants as the source of enzymes2,6–8. β-D-Glucosides of resorcinol and other phenols have, however, been prepared from maltose (or isomaltose), as a source of glucose, and an intracellular enzyme preparation from Aspergillus niger9.