Phlorizin (PZ)

Phlorizin is a 2'-glucoside of phloretin. It belongs to the group of dihydrochalcones, a type of flavonoids. Phlorizin is naturally occurring in some plants. It could be found in the bark of pear (Pyrus communis), apple, cherry and other fruit trees (Rosaceae) and is responsible for the petal color in Dianthus caryophyllus. Phlorizin is of sweet taste and contains four molecules of water in the crystal. Phlorizin is a competitive inhibitor of SGLT1 and SGLT2 because it competes with D-glucose for binding to the carrier; this reduces renal glucose transport, lowering the amount of glucose in the blood. Phlorizin was studied as a potential pharmaceutical treatment for type II diabetes, but has since been superseded by more selective and more promising synthetic analogs, such as canagliflozin and dapagliflozin. Orally consumed phlorizin is nearly entirely converted into phloretin by hydrolytic enzymes in the small intestine.