Hesperidin is a flavanone

Flavanone

The flavanones are a type of flavonoids. They are generally glycosylated by a disaccharide at position seven to give flavanone glycosides.-List of flavanones:* Butin* Eriodictyol* Hesperetin* Hesperidin* Homoeriodictyol* Isosakuranetin* Naringenin...

 glycoside

Glycoside

In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to a non-carbohydrate moiety, usually a small organic molecule. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. These can be activated by enzyme...

 (flavonoid

Flavonoid

Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites....

) (C₂₈H₃₄O₁₅) found abundantly in citrus

Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...

 fruits. Its aglycone

Aglycone

An aglycone is the non-sugar compound remaining after replacement of the glycosyl group from a glycoside by a hydrogen atom. The spelling aglycon is sometimes encountered .Classes of phytochemicals found in the aglycone and glycosides forms :...

 form is called hesperetin

Hesperetin

Hesperetin is a bioflavonoid and, to be more specific, a flavanone. Hesperidin is water-soluble due to the presence of the sugar part in its structure, so on ingestion it releases its aglycone, i.e, hesperetin....

. Its name is derived from the Hesperides

Hesperides

In Greek mythology, the Hesperides are nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world, located near the Atlas mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus, the world-ocean....

 nymphs of Greek mythology. Hesperidin is believed to play a role in plant

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

 defense. It acts as an antioxidant

Antioxidant

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...

 according to in vitro studies. In human nutrition, it contributes to the integrity of the blood vessels.

Various preliminary studies reveal novel pharmaceutical properties. Hesperidin reduced cholesterol and blood pressure in rats. In a mouse study, large doses of the glucoside hesperidin decreased bone density loss. Another animal study showed protective effects against sepsis. Hesperidin has anti-inflammatory effects. Hesperidin is also a potential sedative

Sedative

A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....

, possibly acting through opioid or adenosine receptors.

Some in vitro results applied only to the aglycone form. Hesperidin also showed the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier

Blood-brain barrier

The blood–brain barrier is a separation of circulating blood and the brain extracellular fluid in the central nervous system . It occurs along all capillaries and consists of tight junctions around the capillaries that do not exist in normal circulation. Endothelial cells restrict the diffusion...

in an in vitro model.