Tannins

Astringent polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins, defending plants against herbivores and enabling leather tanning.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Bind salivary proteins, producing the astringent mouthfeel of tea and red wine.
• Convert animal hides into leather by cross-linking collagen fibers.
• Tannin-rich oak galls were the basis of iron gall ink, used in Europe for over a millennium.

Specifications & Metrics

• CHEMICAL CLASS: Polyphenols