IngredientsDimorphandra mollis Benth. is a plant of the family Caesalpiniaceae (now placed within Fabaceae/Caesalpinioideae), common in the central region of the Brazilian cerrado, where it is known as "faveira" or "fava d'anta." According to the NCBI Taxonomy database, the species was formally described by Bentham in 1840 and is classified within the order Fabales, family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae, tribe Caesalpinieae, genus Dimorphandra.
Dimorphandra mollis, the Fava d'anta, is a tree species in the genus Dimorphandra and a plant of the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil. Alternative common names include faveira and favela, used interchangeably across different regions of Brazil. Plants of the genus Dimorphandra Schott, belonging to the Fabaceae family, include D. gardneriana Tul. and D. mollis Benth., popularly known in Brazil as Fava d'anta or faveiras.
Dimorphandra mollis is a deciduous tree with an open crown growing 8–14 metres tall; the bole can be 30–50 cm in diameter. Originally from the Cerrado biome of Brazil, Dimorphandra mollis Benth. is a tree of the legume family with xerophytic habits, allowing it to occur in the different formations within the biome, ranging from open grasslands with scattered shrubs and small trees to forested savanna formations.
The native range of this species is Bolivia to Brazil and Paraguay; it is a tree that grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. Within Brazil it is native to a wide range of states including Ceará, Amazônia, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Goiás, Pará, Maranhão, São Paulo, Piauí, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Pantanal, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, Bahia, and Distrito Federal. These specimens are widely distributed in Brazil and are common in the Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest in states in the North, Central-West, Southeast, and Northeast regions.
Supplemental quercetin is usually derived from the flavonoid rutin extracted from the seed pods of the Brazilian shrub "fava d'anta" (Dimorphandra mollis); this is treated with acid to obtain quercetin as a very thin powder of a greenish-yellow color. The bark is commonly used in Brazil to treat wounds and various skin problems; the bark is also a source of tannins, dyestuff, and ink. The infusion of the green fruit is used as an anti-hemorrhagic and in the treatment of hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and bruises; the infusion of the bark is used as a wound healer.
Its fruits are exclusively obtained through the extractivism of specimens in their natural habitat, harvested at the ripening stage while still green due to the high content of bioflavonoids in this phase. The dry extract standardized to its marker compound rutin is the primary form used in commercial supplements and pharmaceutical preparations. Scientists have also developed a proprietary procedure for conversion of the inactive precursors in Dimorphandra mollis to the biologically absorbable and therefore highly bioactive form, called "isoquercitrin" (also referred to as isoquercetin/rutin 50/50); this form is much better absorbed due to conversion to the more bioavailable glucoside carbohydrate portion of the molecule.
Known commonly as "fava d'anta," Dimorphandra mollis is a leguminous plant native to Brazil with a longstanding history in traditional medicine; indigenous communities and rural populations have valued this plant for centuries, harnessing its potent phytochemical properties for various health benefits. Ethnobotanical studies have documented the use of medicinal plants by the Ribeirinha community in the Northern Araguaia microregion of Mato Grosso, Brazil, underscoring the significance of traditional knowledge in health and disease treatment; among these, Dimorphandra (fava d'anta) is highlighted for its prominent role in traditional medicine, recognized for its therapeutic properties.
Historically, the plant has been used as a natural remedy for circulatory problems, including the treatment of varicose veins and poor blood circulation; its high rutin content is believed to strengthen capillaries and improve vascular health. In folk medicine, decoctions made from its pods or seeds were administered to alleviate symptoms of rheumatism, swelling, and general aches, contributing to its reputation as a remedy for musculoskeletal discomfort. In humans there are descriptions of the traditional use of the substance in indications such as hemorrhoids, capillary fragility, and chronic venous insufficiency.
Rutin, obtained from favela fruits (Dimorphandra mollis Benth., Fabaceae), represents one of the natural products obtained from Brazilian native plants that is used by the pharmaceutical sector. In the pharmaceutical industry, the fruits of the fava d'anta are used to extract quercetin and rutin, which are the basis for the production of medicines that work to treat varicose veins, hemorrhoids, circulatory system disorders, and a variety of other conditions.
The chemical composition of Dimorphandra mollis has already been investigated, and the pharmacological activity of this plant is due mainly to the total flavonoids present in its fruits. Rutin, the main active component in D. mollis dry extract obtained from its fruits, is a flavonic heteroside showing activity as anti-oxidant, antiviral, anti-tumoral, anti-inflammatory, and platelet antiaggregant.
The fruits of Dimorphandra mollis are rich in flavonoids rutin and quercetin, which are compounds with high antioxidant activity and can be used to prevent diseases caused by free radicals. Analytical investigation has identified rutin and quercetin in the extract, which showed a total flavonoids content of 33.71%.
In standardized dry extract preparations, the rutin content has been measured at 76 ± 3%.
In addition to rutin and quercetin, fava d'anta contains the flavonoid astilbin. Specifically, astilbin (5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-2,3-dihydroflavonol-3-beta-O-rhamnoside) has been isolated from the peduncles and flowers of this plant in large amounts.
Rutin is a flavonoid glycoside (3-O-beta-rhamnoglucoside) found in several plant species. It is also found in greater amounts in the pericarp of the fruits of the Brazilian Dimorphandra mollis Bent., an important source of this flavonoid. Chemically, rutin is the 3-O-rutinoside of quercetin; quercetin itself is the aglycone (de-glycosylated form) of rutin. Despite being glycosylated, rutin has a poor solubility in water, which has driven pharmaceutical efforts to improve its bioavailability through enzymatic modification or encapsulation.
Rutin was found in all analyzed fava d'anta plant parts, and its content was always higher than quercetin, a related flavonoid; young leaves showed the highest rutin content. In general, stresses caused an increase in both flavonoids in the seedling leaves, with some variation depending on leaf age. Seedlings under stress showed a similar growth to the control seedlings, suggesting that rutin may have a role in protecting the tissues against oxidative damage during drought periods in its natural habitat.
The bark is also a source of tannins, dyestuff, and ink. The bark thus contributes phenolic compounds beyond the fruit's flavonoid profile, though these have received less pharmacological characterization.
Extract of D. mollis showed antioxidant activity as a scavenger of DPPH and ABTS radicals; it is possible to conclude that D. mollis fruits are a rich source of flavonoids with antioxidant action. At the molecular level, the decrement in DNA fragmentation, upregulation in the activity of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase, and reduced glutathione, along with a reduction in lipid peroxidation were observed in preclinical studies of rutin.
Flavonoids have been known as natural anti-inflammatory agents; rutin and rutin glycoside showed dose-dependent reduction effects on the level of NO or PGE2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. Rutin treatment has been shown to prevent the activation of NF-κB by increasing the expression of IκB-α. Another mechanism identified is that rutin effectively inhibited vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).
Rutin reduces the permeability and fragility of the capillaries; through its protective effect on the vessel walls, this molecule inhibits platelet aggregation and reduces capillary permeability in order to improve blood flow and diminish vasodilation. Rutin, a 3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone-3β-doside also known as vitamin P, is a bioflavonoid that generally exhibits cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial and antioxidant activities; rutin improves blood circulation by thinning blood, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and decreasing capillary permeability.
Studies aimed to systematically examine the inhibitory mechanisms of rutin on platelet aggregation found that rutin concentration-dependently (at 250 and 290 μM) inhibited platelet aggregation in human platelets stimulated by agonists such as collagen; rutin at these concentrations did not significantly interfere with the binding of FITC-triflavin to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex, but markedly inhibited intracellular Ca²⁺ mobilization and thromboxane A2 formation in human platelets stimulated by collagen. Rutin provides pharmacological information via platelet aggregation and cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) inhibition and its downstream pathway.
Reduction in oxidative stress due to rutin, when administered by oral route, is the key reason for the restoration of impaired baroreflex sensitivity and vascular reactivity in hypertensive rats; by augmenting NO production in human endothelial cells, rutin improved endothelial functions.
Rutin and its aglycone quercetin are flavonoids present in many fruits and plants and have been demonstrated to bear anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties; previous studies demonstrated that rutin, isolated from the Brazilian plant Dimorphandra mollis Bent., presents immunomodulatory effects on astrocytes and microglia. Additionally, rutin decreases levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA and increases levels of glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and nerve-derived neurotrophic factor (NGF) mRNA; evidence has been presented for the protective effect of rutin on Parkinson's disease aminochrome-induced models, suggesting the potential role of anti-inflammatory activity and upregulation of NGF and GDNF in the mechanism of rutin action against aminochrome neurotoxicity.
Rutin may serve as a potential agent for glycemic control through enhancement of insulin-dependent receptor kinase activity, thereby inducing the insulin signaling pathway, and thus causing increased glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation and increased glucose uptake.
Dimorphandra mollis (Caesalpiniaceae), known as "faveira" or "fava d'anta," is a common plant in central Brazilian cerrado that is used mainly as a vasoprotector; its main marker is rutin. In the United States, rutin has been considered as an official medication in the treatment of capillary hemorrhages caused by fragility of the blood capillaries in instances of degenerative vascular diseases, diabetes, and allergic manifestation; although rutin is no longer one of the official medications, it is widely used as a complement. The best-known pharmacological activity of this molecule is the reduction of permeability and capillary fragility, widely described for this activity in the 1940s and 1950s.
The modern pharmacological literature has confirmed that rutin and quercetin have specific abilities to enhance the resistance of capillaries and exert systemic hemostatic effects, as well as powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetes, and anti-hyperuricemia effects.
Evidence strength: After reviewing titles, abstracts, and removing duplicates from a comprehensive integrative review, studies analyzed showed various pharmacological activities of the compounds extracted from D. mollis and D. gardneriana species, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antiviral, and lipid metabolism modulating properties; the presence of the flavonoids rutin and quercetin reinforces the potential of these species for therapeutic applications. However, this body of evidence is predominantly derived from in vitro and animal studies; well-powered randomized controlled trials specifically using D. mollis extract in humans for venous insufficiency have not been identified in the reviewed literature.
Preliminary laboratory and animal studies have demonstrated promising biological activities; research indicates that extracts from the plant exhibit significant antioxidant activity, which may help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Rutin has been demonstrated to inhibit the proliferation of breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers and other tumors in vitro; unless checked by antioxidants such as rutin, lipid peroxidation can play a significant pathological role.
Evidence strength: In vitro and preclinical (animal). No large-scale human trials have been identified using D. mollis extract specifically for oxidative stress endpoints.
Rutin has demonstrated pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory and anti-glycation activities, as well as reduction of anxiety. The pharmacological properties of rutin, particularly the gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-diabetic effects, have been demonstrated in several studies.
Evidence strength: Largely in vitro and animal-based. The anti-inflammatory effects described are attributed to rutin and quercetin isolated from the plant; direct human clinical trials of D. mollis whole extract for inflammatory conditions are not reported in the reviewed literature.
Rutin presents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumoral, antialergic, and antiplatelet activities. Mechanistic in vitro work found that rutin concentration-dependently inhibited platelet aggregation in human platelets stimulated by collagen and markedly inhibited intracellular Ca²⁺ mobilization and thromboxane A2 formation.
Evidence strength: In vitro mechanistic data in human platelets exists. Clinical outcome data for thrombotic endpoints are not reported in the reviewed sources.
Rutin may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress; its neuroprotective effect might be mediated via antioxidant activity. The immunomodulatory effects of rutin from D. mollis on central nervous system cells have been documented in in vitro studies.
Evidence strength: Preclinical and in vitro only. No human clinical trials have been identified in the reviewed sources.
Some studies have suggested anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and lipid-lowering effects, supporting its traditional use in managing various health conditions. Rutin may serve as a potential agent for glycemic control through enhancement of insulin-dependent receptor kinase activity and increased GLUT4 translocation.
Evidence strength: Animal and in vitro data only. No human clinical trials using D. mollis extract for diabetes or glycemic outcomes have been identified in the reviewed sources.
Studies have demonstrated for the first time the protective role of two common flavonoids, quercetin and its glycone rutin, against high-cholesterol-diet-induced hepatotoxicity and inflammation.
Evidence strength: Animal models only. Human hepatoprotective trials using D. mollis extract have not been identified in the reviewed literature.
Clinical validation in humans remains limited; only a handful of small-scale trials and observational studies have been conducted, leaving gaps in the understanding of efficacy and safety for widespread use in nutritional products. The comprehensive review of the chemical constitution and pharmacology of fava d'anta that searched Embase, SciElo, LILACS, CAPES, and Medline identified 278 articles, of which only 13 were obtained for full-text analysis. This bibliometric finding underscores the still-limited but growing body of dedicated clinical evidence for the species itself, as opposed to its isolated constituent compounds.
The dry extract used in toxicological research was prepared using Dimorphandra mollis fruits collected in the cerrado region in the north of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil; botanical investigation was carried out after herborization of the collected material.
The extract used in preclinical safety studies presented a rutin content of 76 ± 3%. This high degree of standardization is typical of commercially produced dry extracts and serves as the quality marker for batch-to-batch consistency.
In acute oral toxicity studies conducted in rodents:
The commonly found supplemental form of quercetin derived from D. mollis is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; scientists have developed a proprietary procedure for conversion of the inactive precursors to the biologically absorbable and therefore highly bioactive form, called "isoquercitrin."
Based on available preclinical and ethnopharmacological evidence, Dimorphandra mollis and its principal constituents are associated with the following body systems:
The LD50 for oral administration of Dimorphandra mollis dry extract is larger than 5000 mg/kg in rodents, indicating a very high acute lethal dose threshold. The study suggests that the extract is safe at a 1000 mg/kg dose in rodents, whereas for the 2000 mg/kg dose further studies are needed; in long-term use, caution is required.
Chronic toxicity studies at 1000 and 2000 mg/kg doses did not provoke significant changes in body weight of the animals and in water and food consumption; behavioral reversible changes and changes in blood count parameters (hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red cell decrease and platelet increase in male rats) were observed only at the 2000 mg/kg dose. In histopathological examination, lung hemorrhage was observed at the 2000 mg/kg dose.
With respect to the biochemical and hematological parameters evaluated, no alterations in the groups of rats that received 1000 and 2000 mg/kg doses were observed, but an increase in eosinophils occurred; hyperactivity of the white splenic pulp was detected at the 2000 mg/kg dose. In the evaluation of the lymphoproliferative response with 1000 and 2000 mg/kg, no alterations were observed, and a decrease in IgG was only observed at the 2000 mg/kg dose. The results obtained with rodents suggest that no toxicity exists with the administration of dried D. mollis extract at the 1000 mg/kg dose.
The seeds of Dimorphandra mollis are known to be toxic to cattle. This is a well-documented finding in the agricultural literature, and livestock-related toxicity — attributed at least in part to the flavonoid constituents, particularly astilbin — distinguishes the plant's safety profile in animals from that in rodent toxicology models.
Astilbin (5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-2,3-dihydroflavonol-3-beta-O-rhamnoside) has been isolated from peduncles and flowers of this plant in large amounts; astilbin presented insecticidal activity against confined bees and the results suggest that astilbin reduces the average survival of treated bees. Larvae and hives of the honey bee Apis mellifera died after bee workers pollinated crops of orange near D. mollis in São Paulo State, Brazil, suggesting that bee workers might have collected pollen from D. mollis, intoxicating themselves, other adults, and the offspring.
Studies investigated the effects of the flavonoid rutin on the anticoagulant activity of oral warfarin and the protein binding and pharmacokinetics of its enantiomers in rats; a single dose of racemic warfarin (1.5 mg/kg) was administered orally to rats either alone or on day 5 of an 8-day oral regimen of rutin (1 g/kg daily). Rutin reduced the anticoagulant effect of racemic warfarin, evident as a 31% reduction in the area under the prothrombin complex activity–time curve.
The mechanism of the interaction of quercetin with warfarin is theorized to be warfarin being displaced from albumin by quercetin in the blood plasma and inhibition of CYP2C9; there is evidence to show the metabolites of quercetin bind to albumin with high affinity, leading to strong displacement of warfarin. This suggests that high doses of quercetin can lead to an increased INR and risk of bleeding.
One study attempted to examine the effects of rutin on the anticoagulant activity of oral warfarin and the protein binding along with pharmacokinetics of its enantiomers in rats; rutin enhanced the in vitro serum protein binding of S- and R-warfarin, and treatment significantly decreased the elimination half-life of S-warfarin by 37% as a result of the 69% increase in unbound clearance of the S-enantiomer.
There are no known side effects specifically attributed to rutin in the reviewed clinical literature. However, the preclinical interaction data with warfarin are important considerations when D. mollis-derived supplements are used concurrently with anticoagulant therapy.
The extractivism of Dimorphandra mollis Benth., which is a native tree from the Brazilian Cerrado biome, combined with the reduction in native vegetation area in the country over the years may result in a decrease in the species' natural populations. In the north of Minas Gerais State, "fava-d'anta" constitutes an income source for farm workers and is obtained exclusively through extractivism, which threatens the natural populations of this species.
This species is economically valuable and has been extensively exploited because its fruits contain the flavonoid rutin, which is used to produce medications for human circulatory diseases. The reduction in natural populations may occur due to the predatory extractivism of D. mollis, and this effect can be potentialized by the increasing deforestation rates in the Cerrado Biome, specifically in the Cerrado-Caatinga transition zone.
Within this context, Dimorphandra mollis functions as both a bioindicator species and a valuable ethnobotanical resource, playing a key role in ecosystem monitoring and restoration strategies. Its reproductive system is classified as facultative allogamous, and it has high intrapopulation and non-inbreeding genetic diversity.
Health conditions that Dimorphandra mollis may help support.
Body systems that Dimorphandra mollis may help support.
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