Recent animal study shows that the citrus flavonoid eriocitrin may support metabolic health

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A recent animal study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science¹ found that eriocitrin, even at low doses, can support inflammation, metabolic health, and oxidative stress. In the study, 50 male mice were randomly assigned to five groups. Three groups were fed a high fat diet (HFD) for four weeks, then continued the HFD for an additional four weeks while supplementing with 10, 25, or 100 mg/kg body weight of eriocitrin. The study had two control groups, one in which mice were fed a HFD for eight weeks without supplementation of eriocitrin, and another where they were fed a standard diet for eight weeks without eriocitrin.

Results showed that 25 mg/kg of eriocitrin produced significant improvements in subjects, with positive effects on oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and the metabolism of lipids and glucose in general. More specifically, mice supplemented with eriocitrin showed lower levels of blood serum glucose, blood and liver triglycerides, as well as improved levels of insulin, total cholesterol, as well as resistin and lipid peroxidation.

“Most studies on eriocitrin haven’t explored its effect on obesity-induced metabolic disturbances and, because the global rate of obesity continues to increase, we felt that it was important to examine the topic further,” said Thais Cesar, PhD, associate professor of nutrition at Sao Paulo State University, and co-author of the study, in a press release. “Eriocitrin significantly improved metabolic, inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters across multiple biomarkers, showing potential to delay the development of inflammatory complications. We look forward to performing additional research on eriocitrin in the future.”

The study, sponsored by Ingredients by Nature (IBN) utilized IBN’s lemon flavonoid blend Eriomin, primarily made up of eriocitrin. “As a leading supplier of citrus flavonoids, we put great importance into the continual development of research into these powerful ingredients,” said Rob Brewster, president of IBN, in a press release. “Eriocitrin is not as commonly recognized as other fruit-derived flavonoids, but the science shows that it is a potent source of health support for a variety of health complications. We look forward to seeing what future research will continue to reveal about it.”

Reference

1. Ferreira PS et al. “Low doses of eriocitrin attenuate metabolic impairment of glucose and lipids in ongoing obesogenic diet in mice.” Journal of Nutritional Science, vol. 9, no. 59 (2020)