Naringin is a flavanone glycoside. It is a major flavonoid in grapefruit and gives the grapefruit juice its
bitter taste. It is metabolized to the flavanone naringenin in humans. Both naringenin and hesperetin,
which are the aglycones of naringin and hesperidin, occur naturally in citrus fruits.
Activity
Naringin exerts a variety of pharmacological effects such as antioxidant activity, blood lipid lowering,
anticancer activity, and inhibition of selected drugmetabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes, including
CYP3A4 and CYP1A2, which may result in drugdrug interactions in vivo.Ingestion of naringin and
related flavonoids can also affect the intestinal absorption of certain drugs, leading to either an increase
or decrease in circulating drug levels. To avoid interference with drug absorption and metabolism, the
consumption of citrus (esp. grapefruit) and other juices with medications is contraindicated.
Naringin, followed by rutin, was the most potent flavonoid inhibitor of VEGF release, which causes
angiogenesis, out of 21 flavonoids.
Use
When naringin is treated with potassium hydroxide or another strong base, and then catalytically
hydrogenated, it becomes a naringin dihydrochalcone, a compound roughly 300-1800 times sweeter than sugar at threshold concentrations.
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