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DOI 10.1002/ejlt.200700145
Editorial
549
Tannins are defined as antinutrients of plant origin because they can precipitate proteins,
inhibit digestive enzymes, and decrease the utilization of vitamins and minerals. On the
other hand, tannins have also been considered health-promoting components in plantderived foods and beverages. For instance, tannins have been reported to possess
anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic potentials as well as antimicrobial properties. Several
studies have reported on the antioxidant and antiradical activities of tannins.
Sorghum grains with a pigmented testa layer, chestnut colour glumes, and red plant parts
(i.e., tannin-containing) have a higher antioxidant activity than other types of sorghum with
a lower content of tannins. Extracts of hazelnuts prepared from the green leafy cover (i.e.,
rich in tannins) exhibited greater antioxidant properties than those of extracts prepared
from hazelnut kernels. Statistically significant linear correlations were found between
TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) values and the content of condensed tannins in the extracts prepared from canola hulls. In the aforementioned study, the quantity of
condensed tannins was determined using both the vanillin and proanthocyanidins assays.
Tannins from Picrorhiza kurrora seeds inhibited lipid-peroxidation in a manner similar to
that of BHA, BHT, and TBHQ. The tannins fraction separated from acetonic extracts of
almonds, red bean, and pea exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than the fractions of
low-molecular-mass phenolics separated from the same respective plant material [3-5]. In
the cited studies, the authors employed methods such as reducing power, antiradical activity against DPPH. and ABTS.1, and antioxidant activity in a b-carotene-linoleate model
system. For extracts prepared from leguminous seeds (i.e., faba bean, broad bean, adzuki
bean, red bean, red lentil, and green lentil) statistically significant correlations were
reported between total antioxidant activity and tannins content determined by both the
vanillin method (P ,0.01) and after n-butanol/ HCl hydrolysis (P ,0.05) [6].
Tannins do not function solely as primary antioxidants (i.e., they donate hydrogen atom or
electrons), they also function as secondary antioxidants. Tannins have the ability to chelate
metal ions such as Fe(II) and interfere with one of the reaction steps in the Fenton reaction
and thereby retard oxidation [7]. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation by tannin constituents
can act via the inhibition of cyclooxygenase [8].
The antioxidative properties of tannin-rich extracts have been observed in meat model
system studies. For example, a bearberry-leaf (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) extract, characterized by the presence of condensed and hydrolysable tannins (,10%), at a 500-ppm
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Editorial
Ryszard Amarowicz
550
Editorial
Ryszard Amarowicz
Division of Food Science, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish
Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
References
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Mason, A.M. Florkin, Academic Press, New York (USA), 1962, pp. 755809.
[2] A. E. Hagerman, Y. Zhao, S. Johnson; Methods for determination of condensed and hydrolyzable
tannins. ACS Symposium Series. 2005, 662, 209222.
[3] R. Amarowicz, A. Toszynska, F. Shahidi: Antioxidant activity of extract of almond seeds and its
fractions. J Food Lipids. 2004, 12, 344358.
[4] R. Amarowicz, A. Troszynska: Antioxidant and antiradical activity of extracts of phenolic compounds from red bean. Czech J Food Sci. 2004, 22SI, 206208.
[5] R. Amarowicz, A. Troszynska: Antioxidant and antiradical activity of extract of pea and its fractions
of low molecular phenolics and tannins. Pol J Food Nutr Sci. 2003, 53SI, 1015.
[6] R. Amarowicz, A. Toszynska, N. Barylko-Pikielna, F. Shahidi: Polyphenolics extracts from legume
seeds: correlation between total antioxidant activitity, total phenolics content, tnnins content and
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[7] M. Karamac, A. Kosinska. R. Amarowicz: Chelating of Fe(II), Zn(II) and Cu(II) by tannin fractions
separated from hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds. Bromat Chem Toksykol. 2006, 39, 257260.
[8] Y. J. Zhang, D. L. DeWitt, S. Murugesan, M. G. Nair: Novel lipi-peroxidation and cyclooxygenaseinhibitory tannins from Picrorhiza kurrora seeds. Chem Biodiver. 2004, 1, 426441.
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[9] R. Amarowicz, R. B. Pegg, B. Barl: Antioxidant activity of extracts of phenolic compounds from
selected plant species. In: Biologicaly-Active Phytochemicals in Food. Eds. W. Pfannhauser, C.R.
Fenwick, S. Khokhar, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge (UK) 2001, pp. 345348.
[10] R. B. Pegg, R. Amarowicz, M. Naczk: Antioxidant activity of polyphenolics from bearberry-leaf
(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L.) Sprengel) extract in met systems. ACS Symposium Series, 2005, 909,
6782.
[11] R. Amarowicz, R. B. Pegg, G. A. Dykes, A. Troszynska, F. Shahidi: Antioxidant ant antibacterial
properties of extracts of green tea polyphenols. ACS Symposium Series. 2005, 909, 94106.
[12] R. B. Pegg, R. Amarowicz: Meat protein-tannin interactions: observed antioxidant activity and
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Helsinki, Finland.
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