Evaluation of Tamarindus indica L. Seed Tannins

Mwenda Nyaga, Paul Tanui , Samuel Njenga

Article
2023 / Volume 6 / Pages 373-386
Received 22 June 2023; Accepted 11 August 2023; Published 18 August 2023
https://doi.org/10.31881/TLR.2023.081

Abstract
Tannins are water-soluble polyphenols mostly found in vascular plants and are important raw materials in many industries like leather, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages. Tannins protect the plant and help its growth. In this study, Tamarindus indica L. seeds were extracted for the determination of tannin content and the tanning strength by the hide powder method. Earlier studies showed that Tamarindus indica L. seeds varied in the amount of tannins present. Mimosa was used as a control. The tanning strength was 1.73 for the tamarind seed extract and 2.06 for mimosa. The tannin content was >10% for both the tamarind seed extract and mimosa. It was concluded that both tamarind seed extract and mimosa had sufficient tanning strength exceeding (1.5) the minimum recommended for a tanning agent hence providing insights as a feasible material for the tanning process.

Keywords
Tamarindus indica L. seed, tannins, mimosa, leather