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Rutin

Rutin is a plant pigment (flavonoid) that is found in certain fruits and vegetables. Rutin is used in the manufacture of medicine. The main sources of rutin for medicinal purposes include buckwheat, Japanese string tree and Eucalyptus macrorhyncha. Other sources of rutin include the leaves of various species of eucalyptus, lime blossom, elderflower, hawthorn leaves, garden rue, St. John's wort, ginkgo biloba, apple and other fruits and vegetables. Some people believe that rutin can strengthen blood vessels and therefore use rutin for varicose veins, internal bleeding, hemorrhoids and to prevent strokes due to damaged veins or arteries (hemorrhagic stroke). Rutin is also used to prevent side effects of cancer treatment known as mucositis. This is a painful condition characterized by swelling and ulcers in the mouth or on the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. In combination with the proteins trypsin and bromelain, rutin is used to treat osteoarthritis.

How does rutin work?

Rutin contains chemicals that may offer protection against cancer.

How effective is rutin?

Rutin may be effective in combination with trypsin and bromelain for osteoarthritis. This combination appears to be about as effective as the drug diclofenac in relieving pain and improving knee function in people with osteoarthritis. There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of rutin for blood vessel disorders, varicose veins and bleeding, and for use in the prevention of mouth ulcers associated with cancer treatment. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of rutin in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Rutin is probably safe and harmless when used in food quantities and possibly safe when used appropriately in medicinal quantities for a short period of time. It may cause some side effects including headaches, flushing, skin rashes and stomach upset.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of rutin during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid rutin.

Interactions

At the present time there is no information on interactions of rutin with medications or supplements.

Dosage

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies:

Oral:

  • For osteoarthritis: 2 tablets of a combination product (Phlogenzym) containing 100 mg rutin, 48 mg trypsin and 90 mg bromelain, three times daily.

References

  1. Cruz T, Galvez J, Ocete MA, et al. Oral administration of rutoside can ameliorate inflammatory bowel disease in rats. Life Sci 1998;62:687-95.
  2. Drewa G, Schachtschabel DO, Palgan K, et al. The influence of rutin on the weight, metastasis and melanin content of B16 melanotic melanoma in C57BL/6 mice. Neoplasma 1998;45:266-71.
  3. Erlund I, Kosonen T, Alfthan G, et al. Pharmacokinetics of quercetin from quercetin aglycone and rutin in healthy volunteers. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2000;56:545-53.
  4. Escarpa A, Gonzalez MC. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection for the determination of phenolic compounds in peel and pulp from different apple varieties. J Chromatogr A 1998;823:331-7.
  5. Galvez J, Cruz T, Crespo E, et al. Rutoside as mucosal protective in acetic acid-induced rat colitis. Planta Med 1997;63:409-14.
  6. Klein G, Kullich W. Short-term treatment of painful osteoarthritis of the knee with oral enzymes. Clin Drug Invest 2000;19:15-23.
  7. Kostyuk VA, Potapovich AI, Speransky SD, Maslova GT. Protective effect of natural flavonoids on rat peritoneal macrophages injury caused by asbestos fibers. Free Radical Biol Med 1996;21:487-93.
  8. Kostyuk VA, Potapovich AI. Antiradical and chelating effects in flavonoid protection against silica-induced cell injury. Arch Biochem Biophys 1998;355:43-8.
  9. Mehta DK (Ex Ed). British National Formulary, Number 37. British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain: London, England, March 1999.
  10. Perez Guerrero C, Martin MJ, Marhuenda E. Prevention by rutin of gastric lesions induced by ethanol in rats: role of endogenous prostaglandins. Gen Pharmacol 1994;25:575-80.
  11. Schmitt A, Salvayre R, Delchambre J, Negre-Salvayre A. Prevention by alpha-tocopherol and rutin of glutathione and ATP depletion induced by oxidized LDL in cultured endothelial cells. Br J Pharmacol 1995;116:1985-90.
  12. Webster RP, Gawde MD, Bhattacharya RK. Protective effect of rutin, a flavonol glycoside, on the carcinogen-induced DNA damage and repair enzymes in rats. Cancer Lett 1996;109:185-91.