SPINS announced the top 25 hot raw materials in the U.S. market in 2022 in natural fortification channel sales. Among them, the sales of one raw material increased by 33% (2021, 13.66 million US dollars / 2022, 18.17 million US dollars), this raw material is quercetin. From 2021 to 2020, its sales growth reached 133.6%, which is very popular in the US market.
1. What is quercetin
2. Free radical "scavenger", quercetin has a super antioxidant capacity
3. Quercetin-rich application scenarios
1. What is quercetin?
Quercetin is a flavonoid that is classified as a flavonol (one of six subclasses of flavonoid compounds). Quercetin is widely found in vegetables and fruits, such as apples, berries, tomatoes, grapes, onions, etc. In addition, it also exists in medicinal plants, such as ginkgo biloba and forsythia.
Quercetin, whose name is derived from quercetin and has been in use since 1857, is a naturally occurring polar auxin transport inhibitor. Quercetin is a kind of aglycone, a bright yellow needle crystal, completely insoluble in cold water, hardly soluble in hot water, very soluble in alcohol and lipids. Quercetin glycosides are formed by displacing one of the OH groups (usually in position 3) with an attached sugar group (sugars such as glucose, rhamnose, or rutinose). Attached sugar groups can alter solubility, absorption, and in vivo effects.
Quercetin structural formula
In 2010, quercetin passed the FDA's GRAS certification and can be used in beverages, cereal products, pasta, processed fruits and juices, and gummies, with a maximum content of 500 mg per serving. In Japan and Korea, quercetin is used as a food additive.
Currently, in our country, quercetin can not be used in general food and health food. In 2021, my country approved dihydro quercetin as a new food raw material, which can be used in beverages (≤20 mg/L), fermented milk and flavored fermented milk (≤20 mg/kg), cocoa products, chocolate and chocolate products (≤ 70 mg/kg). Dihydroquercetin is also a flavonol compound, which has two more hydrogen atoms than quercetin.
2. Free radical "scavenger", quercetin has a super antioxidant capacity
Free radicals are produced by the body during metabolism and are one of the causes of many diseases. They can cause cell membrane damage, and gene mutations, accelerate the aging of the body, and induce heart disease, liver damage, diabetes and other diseases. Studies have found that quercetin is one of the most effective free radical scavengers in the flavonoid family.
The antioxidant capacity of quercetin is positively correlated with its concentration, and its antioxidant capacity is mainly manifested by the effects on glutathione (GSH), enzyme activity, signal transduction pathway and reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Animal and cell studies have found that quercetin induces GSH synthesis and that treatment with quercetin increases GSH levels in renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R); can increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) and hydrogen peroxide Enzyme (CAT) level, and reduce the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction; can improve the body's antioxidant status, repair spinal cord injury, atherosclerosis, lead or cadmium poisoning and other damage; can Scavenging ROS to resist oxidative damage, such as respiratory damage, radiation-induced UV skin damage, etc., all indicate that quercetin can enhance the antioxidant defense system.
3. Quercetin-rich application scenarios
1) Regulate blood pressure
Quercetin has been shown to regulate blood pressure by altering various factors controlling blood pressure, such as vascular compliance and resistance, total blood volume dependent on body fluid volume, autonomic nervous system, and the renin-angiotensin system. In addition, quercetin also has a unique regulatory effect on ENaC (epithelial sodium ion channel) gene expression, which is through activation of NKCC1 (Na+-K+-2C− cotransporter 1) on [Cl - ] c (cell-mediated by the control of solute Cl− concentration).
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study showed that a daily intake of 730 mg quercetin for 4 weeks reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with stage 1 hypertension, but had no effect on systolic or diastolic blood pressure in prehypertensive patients. Diastolic blood pressure was not affected. A study in people with metabolic syndrome found that taking 150 mg of quercetin daily for 5 weeks reduced systolic blood pressure.
2) Immune support
In vivo (cell) and in vivo (animal) experiments have found that quercetin has an immune-enhancing effect. A mouse experiment found that quercetin can protect against radiation-induced inflammation by increasing cytokine secretion, and quercetin also has anti-isoproterenol-induced myocardial oxidative damage and immune function damage, which is consistent with the Antioxidant activity of quercetin.
3) Relieve allergies
Quercetin can inhibit the production of histamine and pro-inflammatory mediators. Studies have found that it has the potential to reduce asthmatic conditions such as eosinophil and neutrophil recruitment, bronchial epithelial cell activation, collagen and mucus production, and airway hyperresponsiveness. It can also inhibit the production of periostin and periostin-induced eosinophil chemoattractant, thereby improving the clinical symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
4) Joint Health
Quercetin can increase the production of collagen and fibronectin in the body. In laboratory studies, quercetin suppressed inflammation in people with arthritis, and the study found that switching to a diet rich in flavonoids significantly improved symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
5) Lower uric acid
An experiment in rats with hyperuricemia found that after treatment with quercetin, xanthine oxidase activity was inhibited, oxidative stress levels were reduced, and hyperuricemia was improved. The mechanism may be that quercetin reduces the production of blood uric acid by inhibiting the activity of xanthine oxidase and adenosine deaminase, thereby reducing the level of serum uric acid.
