Rutin Chemical Identity
Rutin has the molecular formula C27H30O16 and a molecular weight of 610.5. The aglycone is quercetin, a flavonol with a catechol B-ring, and a rutinose unit of glucose and rhamnose is attached at position 3. The sugar chain adds polarity and makes the glycoside more soluble in hot water than quercetin, although not freely soluble. In the plant the glycoside is the storage form, and the aglycone is released by acid or enzyme.
Rutin is commonly sold as a hydrate, and the number of water molecules in the crystal affects the molecular weight and the assay. The table lists the anhydrous formula and weight from the reference record, and a buyer who needs the hydrate form should state it when ordering. The natural source is the flower bud of Sophora japonica L., a name that GBIF now treats as a synonym of Styphnolobium japonicum, and the bud is the established commercial source of the glycoside. Related products from the same plant are Quercetin 98%, Quercetin Dihydrate 99% and Kaempferol 98%, which are aglycones, not the glycoside.
Quercetin and rutin differ in how they are used. The glycoside is a formulation ingredient that dissolves a little in hot water and is carried in drink bases and blends, whereas the aglycone is the more lipophilic form used in oil and complex systems. Choosing between them is a matter of dissolution behavior, taste and handling, and the table for each product states the form so that a buyer does not swap them by accident.












