Diosmin: the powerful flavonoid of citrus fruits

Citrus fruits are the best partners to help you strengthen your immunity and stay in good health! It is well known that they are rich in vitamin C, but did you know that they also have important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that will give you an extra boost?

Citrus fruits are rich dietary sources of flavonoids, a class of polyphenolic plant secondary metabolites that play important roles in many biological processes. Diosmin is a flavone glycoside, often referred to as phlebotonic, used to treat chronic venous insufficiency and hemmorrhoids.

General description of diosmin

Diosmin is a disaccharide derivative that consists of diosmetin substituted by a 6-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl moiety at position 7 via a glycosidic linkage. It can be used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. It is a glycosyloxyflavone, a rutinoside, a disaccharide derivative, a monomethoxyflavone and a dihydroxyflavanone. It derives from a diosmetin [2].

Diosmin: health benefits

Diosmin possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is said to treat a variety of health conditions. It has been widely used since 1969 as a phlebotonic and vascular protector for Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) and hemorrhoid disease.

Thanks to its antioxidant property, diosmin helps to fight against free radicals, preventing and decreasing oxidative stress.

It reduces the sensation of pain, swelling and tension in the legs associated with chronic venous disease, while it helps increase venous tone and elasticity.

It may also bring relief to people suffering from secondary Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) caused by CVI.

Diosmin has been indicated to improve glucose metabolism in diabetic disorders, while providing answers for people struggling with neurological problems, like Alzheimer's disease.

It may also contribute to the treatment of melanoma and colon cancer, lymphedema and chromosomal damage associated with radiation treatment and women’s reproductive health problems.

Diosmin has been used to improve postoperative cardiac function in adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, as well as for pelvic congestion and varicoceles in men.

Diosmin in medicine and supplements

Diosmin is widely available in dietary supplement form and as a prescription medicine in several European countries. It is often taken in combination with hesperidin, another citrus fruit flavonoid. Due to its small concentration in citrus fruits, diosmin can also be developed from another natural flavonoid, called hesperidin, which is present in higher concentration in the same citrus fruits.

References

1. Drugs.com [Internet].  Diosmin Information from Drugs.com; [Updated: Dec 23, 2019., Cited: Apr 21, 2020]. Available from: https://www.drugs.com/npp/diosmin.html

2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database. Diosmin, CID=5281613, [Accessed: Apr 17 2020]. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Diosmin