Abstract

A method has been developed which can be used to show the protective action of certain citrus peel fractions ("vitamin P") in controlling vascular fragility. When air is suddenly evacuated from a jar in which mice are placed, hemorrhage occurs into the lungs of these mice. Crude hesperidin obtained from oranges, and a water soluble extract of lemon peel afforded protection to mice against this hemorrhage for a period of 2 to 4 hours after administration. Pure hesperidin had little or no protective effect, but during the first 2 hours following its administration, a greater degree of hemorrhage was apparent.