tannins of constant structure in medicinal and food plants—hydrolyzable tannins and polyphenols related to tannins单宁结构常数在医药和食品plants-hydrolyzable单宁和多酚与单宁.pdfVIP

Molecules 2011, 16, 2191-2217; doi:10.3390/molecule OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 /journal/molecules Review Tannins of Constant Structure in Medicinal and Food Plants—Hydrolyzable Tannins and Polyphenols Related to Tannins Takuo Okuda 1,* and Hideyuki Ito 2 1 Emeritus Professor, Okayama University, Tsushima-naka, Okayama 700-8530, Japan 2 Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsushima-naka, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; E-Mail: hito@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: okudatak@white.megaegg.ne.jp; Tel./Fax: 81-86-223-2502. Received: 19 January 2011; in revised form: 24 February 2011 / Accepted: 28 February 2011 / Published: 4 March 2011 Abstract: In addition to the commonly used classification as hydrolyzable tannins and condensed tannins, tannins can also be categorized into two other types: polyphenols of constant chemical structure (Type A) and polyphenols of variable composition (Type B). Both types of tannins and related polyphenols account for a large part of plant polyphenols, but accurate structure-activity correlations on a molecular basis can be determined mainly for type A compounds, among which are hydrolysable tannins such as the ellagitannins and their oxidized congeners, some gallotannins, epigallocatechin gallate, caffetannins, etc. Among the activities determined on a molecular basis are