Common Name: Rutin
Synonyms: Rutoside, quercetin-3-rutinoside, sophorin

Overview:

Rutin is a bioflavonoid and is found in citrus fruits, noni, apple peel and black tea. The richest source of rutin however is not a fruit or vegetable but a grain, buckwheat.
Rutin is light yellow and is a combination of quercetin and a disaccharide (a type of sugar) rutinose. Rutin is an antioxidant and most of its health enhancing properties can be linked to its ability to scavenge the free radicals. Rutin is essential to the body’s ability to process vitamin C, maintain the strength of the walls of capillaries as well as strengthen the collagen matrix that cements the body together. Rutin also combines with excess iron store in the liver and brain thereby reducing the production of oxygen radicals and cell damage.

A lack of sufficient of rutin in the diet has been associated with pain, weakness and a weakening of the capillaries in the arms and legs. It is often used to treat chronic venous insufficiency (CIV). It does this by improving the flexibility of the venous and improving their tone. It has been shown to reduce the leakage from the small capillaries in the retina, therefore helping to prevent bleeding and blindness. As with other bioflavonoids, rutin works better when given with vitamin C.

Benefits

Studies have shown:

1. In early studies that daily doses of rutin ranging from 200-600mg were beneficial in treating capillary fragility (a condition that leads to easy bruising). Although no studies have been conducted as yet, it has been suggested that rutin supplements may reduce the incidence of cerebral hemorrhage. In a placebo-controlled study a significant reduction of mid-cycle menstrual bleeding was seen in women who took a rutin supplement.
2. In several placebo controlled studies, it was shown that rutin supplementation helps significantly in reducing the venous edema (filling with fluid) that is an early symptom of chronic venous disease of the legs.
3. That in animal studies, rutin’s ability to increase glutathione levels as well as its anti-inflammatory properties where responsible for preventing colitis flare ups and in reducing the tissue damage that is often associated with a flare up. Other studies rutin has shown the ability to protect cells in ethanol induced gastric lesions.
4. That rutin’s iron-chelating abilities keep the iron from binding to hydrogen peroxide and creating a highly reactive free radical. Because of this ability, rutin offers significant protection to liver and brain cells caused by this potent free radical.
5. That taken in conjunction with vitamin C inhibits the breakdown of this vital nutrient thereby increasing vitamin C’s ability to do its job.

Dietary Sources

Good sources of are:

	Buckwheat		Noni
	Apple Peels		Black tea
Citrus fruits

Recommended Dosage:

For venous insufficiency and varicose veins take 500mg taken twice a day
As a nutritional supplement take 500mg once or twice a day.

Tablets come in doses of 50mg, 250mg and 500mg

Contra-indications

Rutin and meats containing nitrates and nitrites (luncheon meats, ham and bacon) should not be eaten together. There is a possibility of forming a compound that has the potential to cause gene mutations and even cancer.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take rutin supplements. There have been no studies of rutin in children. It is recommended that rutin supplements should not be used in children.

There have been a few reports of gastrointestinal upset as well as headaches and a mild tingling in the arms and legs when taking rutin supplements.

Drug interactions

1. Do not take rutin with the quinilone antibiotics. It may inhibit these antibiotics’ ability to do their job of destroying bacteria causing an infection.
2. Rutin and other bioflavonoids tend to reduce blood platelet stickiness in a beneficial way and therefore may reduce the dosage required for blood thinners. Individuals taking blood thinners should consult with their physician prior to starting rutin supplementation.

Web References

1. http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/rut_0230.shtml
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutin
3. http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=21574
4. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/flavonoids/index.html

Printed Reference Material

1. Cesarone MR, Incandela L, DeSanctis MT, Belcaro G, Dugall M, Acerbi G. 2002. Variations in plasma free radicals in patients with venous hypertension with HR (Paroven, Venoruton; 0-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutosides): a clinical, prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther 2002 Jan; 7 Suppl 1: S25-8.
   
2. Cesarone MR, Incandela L, DeSanctis MT, Belcaro G, Griffin M, Ippolito E, Acerbi G. 2002. Treatment of edema and increased capillary filtration in venous hypertension with HR (Paroven, Venoruton; 0-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutosides): a clinical, prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized, dose-ranging trial. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther 2002 Jan; 7 Suppl 1: S21-4.
3. Clement DL. Management of venous edema: insights from an international task force. Angiology. 2000; 51:13-17.
4. Cruz T, Galvez J, Ocete MA, et al. Oral administration of rutoside can ameliorate inflammatory bowel disease in rats. Life Sci. 1998; 62:687-695.
5. Deschner EE, Ruperto JF. Wong GY, Newmark HL. The effect of dietary quercetin and rutin on AOM-induced acute colonic epithelial abnormalities in mice fed a high-fat diet. Nutr Cancer. 1993; 20:199-204.
6. 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; 45:266-271.
7. Galvez J, Cruz T, Crespo E, et al. Rutoside as mucosal protective in acetic acid-induced rat colitis. Planta Med. 1997; 63:409-414.
8. Incandela L, Cesarone MR, DeSanctis MT, Belcaro G, Dugall M, Acerbi G. 2002. Treatment of diabetic microangiopathy and edema with HR (Paroven, Venoruton; 0-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutosides): a prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized study. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther 2002 Jan; 7 Suppl 1: S11-5.
9. Kostyuk VA, Potapovich AI, Speransky SD, Maslova GT. Protective effect of natural flavonoids on rat peritoneal macrophages injury caused by asbestos fiber. Free Rad Biol Med. 1996; 21:487-493.
10. Kostyuk VA, Potapovich AI. Antiradical and chelating effects in flavonoid protection against silica-induced cell injury. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1998; 355:43-48.
11. Olthof MR, Hollman PC, Vree TB, Katan MB. Bioavailabilities of quercetin-3-glucoside and quercetin-4'-glucoside do not differ in humans. J Nutr. 2000; 130:1200-1203.
12. Park JB, Levine M. Intracellular accumulation of ascorbic acid is inhibited by flavonoids via blocking of dehydroascorbic acid and ascorbic acid uptakes in HL-60, U937 and Jurkat cells. J Nutr. 2000; 130:1297-1302.
13. Perez Guerrero C, Martin MG, Marhuenda E. Prevention by rutin of gastric lesions induced by ethanol in rats: role of endogenous prostaglandins. Gen Pharmacol. 1994; 25:575-580.
14. Petruzzellis V, Troccoli T, Candiani C, Guarisco R, Lospalluti M, Belcaro G, Dugall M. 2002. Oxerutins (Venoruton): efficacy in chronic venous insufficiency--a double-blind, randomized, controlled study. Angiology 2002 May-Jun; 53(3): 257-63.
15. Rueff J, Gaspar J, Laires A. Structural requirements for mutagenicity of flavonoids upon nitrosation. A structure-activity study. Mutagenesis. 1995; 10:325-328.
16. Schmitt A, Savayre 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; 116:1985-1990.
17. Titapant V, Indrasukhsri B, Lekprasert V, Boonnuch W. 2001. Trihydroxyethylrutosides in the treatment of hemorrhoids of pregnancy: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Med Assoc Thai 2001 Oct; 84(10): 1395-400.
18. 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; 109:185-191.