WhatIsaTannin?

AnnE.Hagerman2002
Plantsaccumulateawidevarietyof"secondary"compounds,includingalkaloids,terpenesand
phenolics.Althoughthesecompoundsapparentlydonotfunctionin"primary"metabolismsuchas
biosynthesis,biodegradationandotherenergyconversionsofintermediarymetabolism,theydohave
diversebiologicalactivitiesrangingfromtoxicitytohormonalmimicry,andmayplayaroleinprotecting
plantsfromherbivoryanddisease.
Phenolicmetabolisminplantsiscomplex,andyieldsawidearrayofcompoundsrangingfromthe
familiarflowerpigments(anthocyanidins)tothecomplexphenolicsoftheplantcellwall(lignin).
However,thegroupofphenoliccompoundsknownastanninsisclearlydistinguishedfromotherplant
secondaryphenolicsintheirchemicalreactivities&biologicalactivities.
Traditionaluseoftanninsasagentsforconvertinganimalhidestoleather("tanning")isone
manifestationofthemostobviousactivityofthetannins:theirabilitytointeractwithandprecipitate
proteins,includingtheproteinsfoundinanimalskin.Theterm"tannin"comesfromtheancientCeltic
wordforoak,atypicalsourcefortanninsforleathermaking.
BateSmithdefinedtanninsas"watersolublephenoliccompoundshavingmolecularweightsbetween
500and3000...[giving]theusualphenolicreactions...[andhaving]specialpropertiessuchastheability
toprecipitatealkaloids,gelatinandotherproteins".Haslamhasmorerecentlysubstitutedtheterm
"polyphenol"for"tannin",inanattempttoemphasizethemultiplicityofphenolicgroupscharacteristic
ofthesecompounds.Henotesthatmolecularweightsashighas20,000havebeenreported,andthat
tanninscomplexnotonlywithproteinsandalkaloidsbutalsowithcertainpolysaccharides.Ipreferto
usethetermtannin,whichemphasizesthecharacterwhichsetstanninsapartfromallotherphenolics:
theabilitytoprecipitateproteins.

Copyright 2002 by Ann E. Hagerman. All rights reserved.