Tannin; Widely Used In the Pharmaceutical Industry Due to Medical Advantages of Tannin-Based Products

 

Tannins are water-soluble polyphenols that are present in many plant foods. It can be found in the seeds, roots, leaves, stem tissues, and bark of plants. In all of these plant structures, tannins help protect the individual plant species. Moreover, tannins protect the tree from being infected by bacteria or fungi. Fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, walnuts, hazelnuts, grapes, oranges, and pecans have rich content of tannin. Due to anti-oxidation properties and the decomposition, tannins are extensively used in various end-use industries, such as wine, leather, and wood adhesives.

Moreover, there is an increasing demand for tannin extracts in pharmaceutical industry, owing to the increasing awareness about medical advantages of tannin-based products. Tannins offers several advantages such as being as biopesticide, biomaterial, antioxidant, pharmaceutical, antimicrobial, and nutraceutical agent. It is widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry due to their anticancer and antioxidant properties. Tannins are medicinally important due to their astringent properties. They promote rapid healing and the formation of new tissue on wound and inflamed mucosa.

Tannins are widely used to treat varicose ulcers, frostbite, minor burns, haemorrhoids, as well as inflammation of gums. Its water-soluble nature allows easy extraction and is used in various applications in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for tannin due to its curing properties of significant maladies, such as diabetes, HIV, and cancer. Thus, with the increasing prevalence of aforementioned diseases, the demand for tannin, in the pharmaceutical industry, is also increasing.

For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 34.2 million people in the United States (10.5% of the US population) have diabetes. Tannin is also used to treat diarrhea, alkaloidal, skin eruption, and glycosidic poisons. However, the various side effects of tannins can hinder demand. It is not safe for the kidney and liver patients.