Citrus grandis Fruit Extract: Sources And Benefits

Apigenin belongs to the flavone class of polyphenol compounds. It is one of the more common flavones in the diet, found in many fruits and vegetables, including celery and parsley. It’s also found in high amounts in the flowers used to make chamomile tea.

Top Benefits of Apigenin

Apigenin supports a variety of health functions, but our main interest in it for Qualia Life started because of how it might interact with the NAD+ molecule. One of the reasons NAD⁺ has become such an active area of scientific study is it’s consumed to activate three cellular signaling pathways. One of these is sirtuins. Another is PARPs. And the third is CD38. They compete for the same pool of NAD⁺. If one uses too much, there’s less left for others.

During aging, the CD38 NAD⁺-consuming pathway tends to be upregulated. The result is that CD38 consumes a disproportionately large amount of the available NAD⁺ pool in our cells, leaving less for sirtuins (involved in adaptive responses to stress) and PARPs (involved in DNA repair). Apigenin is one of the few plant compounds which might slow CD38, resulting in a more balanced (and youthful) NAD⁺ consumption pattern.* 

When we consider ingredients we do so with an eye to whether it might serve multiple functions within an overall formulation.

When we consider ingredients we do so with an eye to whether it might serve multiple functions within an overall formulation. Apigenin does. It supports many other important interconnected aspects of cellular and mitochondrial performance. These include: antioxidant defenses; protection against glycation products and quinolinic acid; mitochondrial function (e.g., biogenesis, β-oxidation, OXPHOS); cell signaling pathways (e.g., AMPK, Nrf-2, NQO1, PGC-1α, mTOR); and insulin signaling response. Apigenin is also supportive of the gut microbiome.* 

Qualia’s Apigenin Sourcing

Citrus grandis (i.e., pomelo) fruit extract was selected as an ingredient to provide a standardized amount of apigenin. Pomelo is one of the original ancestral citrus fruits from which all modern cultivated citrus varieties originated. Pomelo (or grapefruit) are used to produce the concentrated apigenin found in dietary supplements. 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products and information on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please speak with an appropriate healthcare professional when evaluating any wellness related therapy. Please read the full medical disclaimer before taking any of the products offered on this site.