The present invention relates to substituted saccharides or glycosides and their use in drilling fluid compositions. The substituted saccharide or glycoside bears a substituent A, a substituent B and a substituent C, wherein the substituent A comprises in its structure a group




the substituent B comprises in its structure a group





and the substituent C comprises in its structure a unit —NH—R7—. The definition of each group is described in the description. The drilling fluid composition can show good temperature resistance, filtration loss reducing reduction property, pollution resistance, inhibition property, lubricating property or reservoir protection property, and has no biotoxicity.