Phlorizin, also known as phlorizoside or phlorrhizen, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as flavonoid o-glycosides. Flavonoid O-glycosides are compounds containing a carbohydrate moiety which is O-glycosidically linked to the 2-phenylchromen-4-one flavonoid backbone. Phlorizin (also referred to as phloridzin; chemical name phloretin-2'-‚âà√≠‚Äö√¢¬ß-D-glucopyranoside) is a glucoside of phloretin, a dihydrochalcone, a family of bicyclic flavonoids, which in turn is a subgroup in the diverse phenylpropanoid synthesis pathway in plants. In humans, phlorizin is involved in lactose degradation. Phlorizin is a bitter tasting compound. phlorizin is found, on average, in the highest concentration in a few different foods, such as mexican oregano, european plums, and apples and in a lower concentration in pomegranates and apricots. phlorizin has also been detected, but not quantified, in several different foods, such as epazotes, durians, chinese broccoli, sesames, and sweet potato. This could make phlorizin a potential biomarker for the consumption of these foods. It is of sweet taste and contains four molecules of water in the crystal. Phlorizin is found primarily in unripe Malus (apple), root bark of apple, trace amounts have been found in strawberry. It is poorly soluble in ether and cold water, but soluble in ethanol and hot water. Closely related species, such as pear (Pyrus communis), cherry, and other fruit trees in the Rosaceae do not contain phloridzin. Phlorizin was studied as a potential pharmaceutical treatment for type 2 diabetes, but has since been superseded by more selective and more promising synthetic analogs, such as empagliflozin, canagliflozin and dapagliflozin. 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 is not an effective drug because when orally consumed, it is nearly entirely converted into phloretin by hydrolytic enzymes in the small intestine. Above 200 °C, it decomposes.