Eriocitrin’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory benefits explored in animal studies

Photo © iStockphoto.com/VladislavStarozhilov

Two recent animal studies investigating the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of eriocitrin in rats and mice may point to promising potential for human health benefits. Eriocitrin is a lemon flavonoid extracted from citrus fruits like lemons that research suggests can play a positive role in supporting healthy blood sugar levels, cardiovascular health, and more.

In the first study¹, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers orally administered eriocitrin extract donated by ingredient supplier Ingredients by Nature (IBN; Montclair, CA) to Wistar rats. The extract was IBN’s standardized and trademarked Eriomin eriocitrin ingredient. Following plasma, urine, and organ samples collected between 0 and 24 hours after supplementation, researchers found that the oral eriocitrin supplementation resulted in widely distributed eriocitrin metabolites in the rat tissues—especially in the pancreas, thus potentially suggesting blood glucose benefits. According to the researchers, this is the first time “the metabolism and distribution of orally administered eriocitrin were shown.” The researchers wrote that “the identification and distribution of eriocitrin metabolites in vivo can provide significant pharmacological information for understanding their biological activity.”

In the second study², published in the journal Food & Function, researchers studied whether a diet supplemented with eriocitrin and the flavanone eriodictyol could result in reducing the inflammatory response in mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced periodontal disease. Periodontitis is an inflammatory oral disease. After mice were administered eriocitrin and eriodictyol supplements for 30 days, researchers found that “periodontal inflammation was significantly inhibited by citrus flavonoid supplementation, including reduced flatness of the gingival epithelium and chronic and acute inflammatory cell infiltration…” They concluded, “These results suggest that a diet supplemented with the citrus flavonoids eriocitrin or eriodictyol may aid in the prevention of periodontitis, representing a potential method to enhance local immunity and host defense.”

On these recent studies, Rob Brewster, president of Ingredients by Nature, commented, “The research being done on eriocitrin continues to give us a better understanding of how it works within different areas of the body to efficaciously address multiple concerns related to raised blood glucose levels and the body’s natural immune response.”

References

1. Ferreira PS et al. “Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of eriocitrin in rats.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Published online February 3, 2021.
2. Carvalho JDS et al. “Impact of citrus flavonoid supplementation on inflammation in lipopolysaccharide-induced periodontal disease in mice.” Food & Function, vol. 12, no. 11 (June 8, 2021): 5007-5017