What is rutin?
What is rutin?
Rutin (also called rutoside) is found in fruits and fruit rinds (especially citrus fruits), berries such as mulberry and cranberries, buckwheat, asparagus, and a few other plants.
Rutin is a flavonoid glycoside. It is used in many countries as a medication for protecting and healing blood vessels, and it is often a component in multi-vitamin and herbal remedies.
- Anti-inflammatory (6).
- Antioxidant (1,6,7,8,10).
- Inhibits platelet aggregation and decreases capillary permeability, making the blood thinner and improving circulation (4,8,9).
- Strengthens the capillaries, and can be used to treat hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and unpleasant-looking venous oedema of the legs.
- Lowers LDL cholesterol and the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease (2,7,8,10).
- Cancer inhibitor (5). Also a VEGF inhibitor (angiogenesis inhibitor) that can help prevent some cancers.
- Inhibits aldose reductase activity. Aldose reductase is an enzyme normally present in the eye and other parts of the body. It helps convert glucose into a sugar alcohol called sorbitol, which can damage eye and nerve cells when in excess.
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
- Varicose veins.
- Spider veins.
- Tardive dyskinesia (involuntary, repetitive body movements) from use of antipsychotic medications (3).
- Oedema (4).
- Venous ulceration (4).
- Atherosclerosis and heart disease.
- Cholesterol profile improved.
- Inflammation in various forms.
Do not take rutin if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
Rutin allergies are unusual - in the rare cases where they occur, they can cause a rash after taking rutin tablets (the only case I have heard of was a rash on the lower legs). Most studies show that rutin inhibits allergies.
1. Jaganath, I.B., Mullen, W., Lean, M., Edwards, C.A., and Crozier, A.
In vitro catabolism of rutin by human faecal bacteria and the antioxidant capacity of its catabolites.
Free Radic Biol Med. 2009. 47 (8). pp. 1180-1189. ISSN 0891-5849.
2. Ziaee A., Zamansoltani F., Nassiri-Asl M., Abbasi E. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2009; Department of Endocrinology, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
3. Mahendra Bishnoi1, Kanwaljit Chopra, Shrinivas K. Kulkarni. Protective effect of rutin, a polyphenolic flavonoid against haloperidol-induced orofacial dyskinesia and associated behavioural, biochemical and neurochemical changes. Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology, Volume 21, Issue 5, pages 521-529, October 2007.
4. Belcaro G., Cesarone M.R., Ledda A., Cacchio M., Ruffini I., Ricci A., Ippolito E., Di Renzo A., Dugall .M, Corsi M., Marino Santarelli A.R., Grossi M.G. 5-Year control and treatment of edema and increased capillary filtration in venous hypertension and diabetic microangiopathy using O-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutosides: a prospective comparative clinical registry. Angiology. 2008 Feb-Mar;59 Suppl 1:14S-20S.
5. Suresh R. Volate, Destiny M. Davenport, Stephanie J. Muga, Michael J. Wargovich. Modulation of aberrant crypt foci and apoptosis by dietary herbal supplements (quercetin, curcumin, silymarin, ginseng and rutin). Carcinogenesis (August 2005) 26 (8): 1450-1456. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgi089.
6. Kwon K.H., Murakami A., Tanaka T., Ohigashi H. Dietary rutin, but not its aglycone quercetin, ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice: attenuation of pro-inflammatory gene expression. Biochem Pharmacol. 2005 Feb 1;69(3):395-406.
7. Meng F., Liu R., Bai H., Liu B.W., Liu Y. Inhibitory effect of quercetin, rutin and puerarin on HDL oxidation induced by Cu2+. Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2004 Nov;35(6):836-8.
8. Li Q.S., Lou G.Y., Qian M.Z. Effect of hesperidin and rutin on oxidative modification of high density lipoprotein in vitro. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2004 Mar;2(2):115-6, 119.
9. Joen-Rong Sheu, George Hsiao, Po-Hsiu Chou, Ming-Yi Shen, Duen-Suey Chou. Mechanisms involved in the antiplatelet activity of rutin, a glycoside of the flavonol quercetin, in human platelets. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Jul 14;52(14):4414-8.
10. Milde J., Elstner E.F., Grassmann J. Synergistic inhibition of low-density lipoprotein oxidation by rutin, gamma-terpinene, and ascorbic acid. Phytomedicine. 2004 Feb;11(2-3):105-13.