Vegetable Tannins

Edwin Haslam, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Published online: May 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0001913

Vegetable tannins are phenolic plant secondary metabolites of moderate molecular size Mr ~ 500–3000 that have the propensity to interact with a wide range of other molecules. Interactions of vegetable tannins with proteins are of importance in nutrition, taste, astringency and bitterness, plant defence and ecology, phytotoxicity, and the conversion of animal skins to leather.

Keywords: vegetable tannins; polyphenols; protein complexation; leather; nutrition; phytotoxicity; astringency; food selection

Figure 1. Assembly of collagen molecules into native collagen (fibrils and fibres): ‘overlap’ and ‘gap’ zones.
Figure 2. Multidentate crosslinking of PRP molecules in the palate by polyphenolic substrates with the concomitant loss of lubrication and development of the astringent response.
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 Further Reading
    Bate-Smith EC (1973) Haemanalysis of tannins – the concept of relative astringency. Phytochemistry 12: 907–912.
    Bennick A (1982) Salivary proline-rich proteins. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 45: 83–99.
    Bernays EA, Cooper-Driver G and Bilgener M (1989) Herbivores and plant tannins. Advances in Ecological Research 19: 263–302.
    book Butler LG (1992) "Antinutritional effects of condensed and hydrolysable tannins". In: Hemingway RW and Laks PE (eds) Plant Polyphenols: Synthesis, Properties and Significance, pp. 693–698. New York: Plenum Press.
    Butler LG and Hagerman AE (1981) The specificity of proanthocyanidin–protein interactions. Journal of Biological Chemistry 256: 4494–4497.
    Fraenkel G (1959) The raison d'être of secondary plant substances. Science 129: 1466–1470.
    book Haslam E (1998) Practical Polyphenolics – From Structure to Molecular Recognition and Physiological Action. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Singleton VL (1981) Naturally occurring food toxicants. Advances in Food Research 27: 149–242.
    book Waterman PG and Mole S (1994) Analysis of Phenolic Plant Metabolites. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.

Related Sub-Topics:

Biomolecular Interactions | Other Biomolecules: Structure, Function, Metabolism | Plant Secondary Metabolism
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Article Title: Vegetable Tannins
 
How to Cite close
Haslam, Edwin(May 2001) Vegetable Tannins. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0001913]