Daflon is an oral micronized purified phlebotonic

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

fraction containing 90%

diosmin Diosmin (diosmetin 7-O-rutinoside), a flavone glycoside of diosmetin, is manufactured from citrus fruit peels as a phlebotonic non-prescription dietary supplement used to aid treatment of hemorrhoids or chronic venous diseases, mainly of the ...

and 10%

hesperidin Hesperidin is a flavanone glycoside found in citrus fruits. Its aglycone is hesperetin. Its name is derived from the word "hesperidium", for fruit produced by citrus trees. Hesperidin was first isolated in 1828 by French chemist M. Lebreton f ...

. It is manufactured by

Laboratoires Servier Servier Laboratories (French: Laboratoires Servier, often abbreviated to Servier) is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). The consolidated turnover for the 2018 ...

and often used to treat or manage disorders of the blood vessels. Flavonoids are a type of

phytochemical Phytochemicals are naturally-occurring chemicals present in or extracted from plants. Some phytochemicals are nutrients for the plant, while others are metabolites produced to enhance plant survivability and reproduction. The fields of ext ...

that have been associated with various effects on human health and are a component of many different

pharmaceutical Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

nutraceutical Nutraceutical is a terminology evolved scientifically & also through marketing which is used to imply a pharmaceutical effect from plant extracts, compounds, food products which have efficacy and therapeutic influence on clinical outcomes and patien ...

, and cosmetic preparations. Diosmin is a flavone

glycoside In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...

that is derived from hesperidin. Hesperidin is a flavone that is extracted from citrus fruits.

Vein diseases and hemorrhoids

Daflon is not an FDA-approved medication, and therefore it cannot be advertised for treatment of diseases in the United States. Daflon is under preliminary research for its potential use in treating

vein Veins () are blood vessels in the circulatory system of humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are those of the pulmonary and feta ...

diseases, or

hemorrhoid Hemorrhoids (or haemorrhoids), also known as piles, are vascular structures in the anal canal. In their normal state, they are cushions that help with stool control. They become a disease when swollen or inflamed; the unqualified term ''h ...

s. It is sold as a drug in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Spain,

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, Portugal and Belgium. There is moderate certainty evidence for the effectiveness of daflon for slightly reducing oedema compared to placebo in the treatment of

chronic venous insufficiency Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a medical condition characterized by blood pooling in the veins, leading to increased pressure and strain on the vein walls. The most common cause of CVI is superficial venous reflux, which often results in ...

. Little to no differences in quality of life after treatment with Daflon were found and there is low certainty evidence that this class of drugs do not influence ulcer healing. Diosmiplex, a micronized purified flavonoid fraction of daflon, with similar venous insufficiency indication, is sold as a prescription

medical food Medical food is food that is specially formulated and intended for the dietary management of a disease that has distinctive nutritional needs that cannot be met by normal diet alone. In the United States, it was defined in the Food and Drug Admin ...

in the US.

Pharmacological activity

Daflon plays a crucial role in the prevention of perivascular

edema Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...

formation and treatment of

venous stasis Venous stasis, or venostasis, is a condition of slow blood flow in the veins, usually of the legs. Presentation Complications Potential complications of venous stasis are: * Venous ulcers * Blood clot formation in veins (venous thrombosis), tha ...

. This activity can be explained by its antagonist activity against

prostaglandin E2 Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), also known as dinoprostone, is a naturally occurring prostaglandin with oxytocic properties that is used as a medication. Dinoprostone is used in labor induction, bleeding after delivery, termination of pregnanc ...

(PgE2) and

thromboxane Thromboxane is a member of the family of lipids known as eicosanoids. The two major thromboxanes are thromboxane A2 and thromboxane B2. The distinguishing feature of thromboxanes is a 6-membered ether-containing ring. Thromboxane is named for ...

(TxA2) biosynthesis leading to inhibition of inflammatory process. Moreover, it also has a contraction activity on the lymphatic vessels which cause the lymphatic flow maximal.

Dosage

For venous insufficiency, the dosage is 2 tablets of 500mg daily. For acute hemorrhoidal attack, the dosage is 6 tablets daily for 4 days, followed by 4 tablets daily over the next 3 days. For chronic venous disease, the dosage is 2 tablets a day for at least 2 months.

Side effects

Possible side effects include routine gastric disorders and neurovegetative disorders, however, toxicology studies indicate that diosmin is quite safe. Diosmin interacts in an inhibitory manner with some metabolic enzymes so drug-interactions are probable.

References

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External links

Official website France

Official website Philippines
Flavonoids Drugs acting on the cardiovascular system Drug brand names