Upon prolonged exposure to aqueous solutions phlorizin hydrolyzes to phloretin and glucose.

Closely related species, such as pear (Pyrus communis), cherry, and other fruit trees in the Rosaceae do not contain phlorizin.

In natural sources, it may occur with other polyphenols such as quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, procyanidins, and rutin.

[6][7] Phlorizin was studied as a potential pharmaceutical treatment for type 2 diabetes, but has since been superseded by more selective and more promising synthetic analogs, such as empagliflozin, canagliflozin and dapagliflozin.

[8] Phlorizin is not an effective drug because when orally consumed, it is nearly entirely converted into phloretin by hydrolytic enzymes in the small intestine.