TANNINS AND HUMAN HEALTH:

Nutraceuticals effect of Tannin and its

Monomers.

MAYANK TANDON & DR. S.N. RAI

Animal Nutrition Division,
National Dairy Research Institute,
Karnal, INDIA

e-mail: mayanktandon1@gmail.com
 TANNINS

• Plant Tannins: distinctive group of polyphenolic

polymers of relatively high molecular weight
(M.W = 1000 to 20,000)

• Further categorized as: HYDROLYSABLE

tannins (HTs) or CONDENSED tannins (CTs or
Proanthocyandins) on the basis of their
structure and reactivity.
• HTs are of low M.W (500-3000) and are
polyesters of Gallic acid (gallo tannins) and
hexahydroxy-diphenic acid (ellagitannins)
with a central polyols such as sugars/glucose
and phenolic such as catechin.

• CTs, M.W (1900-28000) have no

carbohydrate core and comprise a group of
polyhydroxy-flavan-3-ol oligomers and
polymers linked by carbon-carbon bonds
between flavanol subunits.
 TANNINS (Basic structure)
Hydrolysable Tannins Condensed Tannins
Glucose
o
oH oH oH oH oH
o
o oH oH oH oH
o oo
o o oH o
Glucose
OH
oH oH
oH OH
OH
Gallotannins Ellagitannins
Catechin
• Cardiovascular disease, principally heart disease
and stroke, are the leading cause of mortality in
both men and women in all racial and ethnic
groups.

• The risk of atherosclerosis is increased by high

blood pressure, hypertension, kidney disorders,
obesity, diabetes, smoking, excessive alcohol
consumption, stress, thyroid and adrenal gland
problems, and lipid disorders

(Crespy and Williamson 2004)

• Tea contains many compounds, especially poly-
phenols and epidemiologically studies show that
polyphenolic compounds present in tea reduces
the risk of a variety of diseases.

• Catechins are the main compounds in green tea;

they consist of (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epicatechin-3-
gallate (ECg), (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-
epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg) etc.
(Graham, 1992)
• Monomers (catechin, epicatechin, gallic and
ellagic acid) of Tannin present in red wine/ green
tea improve the antioxidative / immune status of
the animals/ human.
(Percival et al., 2002)
• Epidemiological studies shows that poly-phenolic
compounds present in the Tea reduce the risk of
a variety of diseases.
THERAPEUTIC VALUES OF TANNIN METABOLITES

• Mice consumed wine rich in phenolic components

as catechin, epicatechin, gallic acid, ellagic acid
showed increased antioxidant activity.

• Gallic acid (GA) also showed strong antioxidant

activity by preventing lipid per-oxidation.

• GA is a strong antioxidant that possesses

antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities
(Shahrzad et. al., 2001)
• Green tea contains:
(+) – gallocatechin (GC),
(-)– epicatechin (EC),
(-)– epigallocatechin (EGC),
(-)– epicatechingallate (ECG),
(-)– epigallocatechingallate (EGCG)
which shows numerous biological activities
including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-tumor and
cancer preventive activities.

• Catechin serve as powerful antioxidant against

lipid per oxidation when phospholipid bi-layers are
exposed to aqueous oxygen radicals.
• (+)Catechin prevents cancer (liver, lung,
breast and colon cancer) in at least one of
three ways:
First, they can prevent the formation of
carcinogens,
Second, they tone up the body's natural
detoxification defenses, and
Finally, they suppress cancer promotion.
• (+)Catechin has other promising qualities:
antibacterial and antiviral agent, regulating
cholesterol and blood pressure, and reducing
blood clotting tendencies that may cause
heart attacks or strokes
 NEUTRACEUTICAL EFFECTS OF CATECHIN AND
EPICATECHIN

• Powerful Antioxidant effect – prevent lipid peroxidation

(Terao et al., 1994).

• Antioxidant activity
Scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress.

• Enzyme induction and enhancing detoxification

glutathione peroxidase
catalase
superoxide dismutase
• Catechin and epicatechin have Super Oxide Dismutase
Cont…
• Prevent free radical induced RBC hemolysis.
(Zhang et al., 1997)

• Prevent coronary artery disease.

(Ishikawa et al., 1997)

• Inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, reduced

body fat and thereby decrease incidence of heart
disease.

• Catechins may stimulate the secretion of Bile

salts and the fecal excretion of cholesterol.
• EGCG inhibit phospholipid hydro peroxidation in
plasma.

• Catechin have an anti-hyperglycemic action

(Liu et al., 2005)

• Lowering blood glucose and normalizing insulin

release.

• Prevent cancer (Valcic et al, 1996) – prevent

formation of carcinogen, increase the body’s
detoxification mechanism against tumor
• Inhibition of Onco-gene expression
(Liu, 2004)
• Gallic acid occurs as a free molecule or as part of
a tannin molecule.

• GA is a strong antioxidant that possesses

antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities
(Shahrzad et. al., 2001)
Weight gain, food intake and liver weight of the rates
on control and powered green tea (PGT) treatments.
(Zhang, et al., 2002)

Measurement Control PGT (2 % in DM)

No. of rats 10 10

Initial body weight, g 166.9 167.0

Body wt. gain, g /d 68.6 79.0

Food intake, g /d 14.78 15.69

Liver weight, g /rat 9.9 10.2

Effect of dietary powered Green tea on serum cholesterol
level and Atherogenic Index (A) and on serum triglyceride
and lipid peroxide level (B). (Zhang, et al., 2002)

6 5
5 4
serum cholesterol level

4 control 3 control
mmol /l

mmol/ l
3 PGT
2 PGT
2
1 1
0 0
1 2 3 4 1 2

A
B
1. Total cholesterol m mol / l
1. Serum triglyceride
2. HDL - Ch
3. VLDL + LDL - Ch
2. Serum lipid peroxide
4. Atherogenic index
Plasma cholesterol, TG and oxidative state of plasma
lipoprotein in mice fed on atherogenic diet with and without
tea extract. (Miura, et al., 2001)
Particular Time Control Tea group
(3.2 mg /d)
No of mice 16 17
Body weight, g 0, wks 25.1 25.9
14 23.4 26.5
Plasma cholesterol, 0, wks 14.6 14.6
m mol/ l 14 83.2 75
Plasma triglyceride, 0 0.89 0.86
m mol /l 14 0.49 0.85
Plasma lipid 0 6.48 8.63
peroxidase, 8 30.3 20.0
µmol MDA /l
Atheromatous area, aortic weights and aortic lipid contents
in mice fed an atherogenic diet with and without tea extract.
(Miura, et al., 2001)

Particulars Control Tea group % Reduction

Atheromatous area, % 36.1 27.7 23

Aorta, mg 14.3 11.0 23

Cholesterol, µmol / aorta 0.830 0.610 27

Triglycerides , µmol / aorta 0.137 0.068 50

Composition of Phenolic Compounds in Tea extract
(Miura, et al., 2001)

Catechins Mg/ g

(-)Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCg) 584

(-) Epigallocatechin (EGC) 117

(-) Epicatechin (EC) 66

(-)Gallocatechingallate (GCg) 16

(-)Epicatechin-gallate (ECg) 5

Caffeine. 4
 Varying level of Potency among Catechins.

• A in vivo experiment indicated that the

components of tea catechins possess varying
inhibitory effects on Cu2+ - mediated oxidation of
LDL in the following order:

EGCg > ECg > EC > C > EGC

(Miura, et al., 1994 & 2001)

Catalase protein expression in rats at 16 wks of age that
consumed water (control), Black tea polyphenols, Green tea
polyphenols for 3 wks (Negishi, et al., 2004)
catalase
% intensity of catalase

160
140
120
expression

100
80 catalase
60
40
20
0
1 2 3
Control BTP GTP

Extract was having tea Polyphenols 5 g /l of water.

And water consumption was 30 ml /d
Catechin feeding effects on plasma TAS in rats
(pietta, et al., 1998)

Treatment TAS (total antioxidant

status), m moles/ l
Control 1.5 ± 0.3

Catechin (2.1 g /l) 3.5 ± 0.3

Colon Cu-Zn SOD in rats given catechin
(pietta, et al., 1998)
Cu-Zn SOD (unites/ g)

3000
2500
2000
Control
1500
Catechin
1000
500
0
1
Composition of Phenolic Compounds in Muscadine

Wine (Percival et al.,2002)

Mg/Liter Muscadine Wine

Total Phenols 834

Gallic acid 14

Ellagic acid 8

Catechin 5
Total antioxidant capacity of plasma of mice
consuming red muscadine wine or ethanol

0.4

0.3
Absorbance at 405 nm

0.2

0.1

0
1 2

1 : Muscadine wine
2 : Ethanol (Percival et al.,2002)
• Catechins hypothesized to help protect against
various diseases by contributing, along with
antioxidant vitamins (i.e. Vit. C & E) and enzymes
(i.e. SOD and Catalase)

• In vivo studies show that green tea catechins

increase total plasma antioxidant activity.

• Intake of Green tea extract also increases the

activity of SOD in serum and the expression of
catalase in the aorta.

• Malondialdehyde, marker of oxidative stress,

decreases after Green tea intake
• Catechins have a direct (antioxidant) or indirect
(increase of activity or expression) effect.

• Because catechins can act as antioxidant in vitro,

they might prevent the oxidation of other
antioxidants, such as vitamin E.

• In some cases ingestion of green tea catechins

does not modify the plasma status of vitamin E
and C in vivo

• Catechins increase vitamin E concentration in LDL

and in this way could protect LDL against
peroxidation.
Glucose concentration affected by Tannic acid
(Liu et al., 2005)
• In an oral Glucose tolerance test in rats, tea
catechins decreased plasma insulin levels but did
not affect plasma glucose levels.

• In type 2 diabetes, lipid metabolism is modified:

Plasma and Liver triglyceride levels and
plasma cholesterol levels are elevated, GTE intake
reduced these values in rats fed a sucrose-rich
diet.

• Catechins also reduced plasma TG levels.

• Tannic acid (TA) induces glucose transport
through activation of the Insulin-mediated
signaling pathways in adipocytes.

• TA inhibited the expression of key genes for

adipogenesis, and has an insulin-like glucose
transport stimulatory activity in adipocytes.

• Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) enhances oral

glucose tolerance in severely diabetic mice and
in moderately diabetic rats.
 CONCLUSION
• Tannins & its monomers have profound effects
on health.

• Not advisable to take a large quantity of

tannins, as they may be toxic.

• It is important to determine the correct dosage

of tannins for promoting optimal health.