Abstract
Objectives Tannins with complex structures are important plant resources, which are abundant in the genus Terminalia. Various Terminalia species have been playing an important role in traditional medicine system. A systematic scoping review of Terminalia Linn. research literature for tannins was conducted to summarize the structures of tannins and analysis fragmentation pathway characteristics, which could provide references for the structural analysis of tannins from Terminalia Linn. Methods After an update of the literature search up to September 2018, the terms of Terminalia in all publications were analyzed. Electronic searches were conducted in scifinder and PubMed, and the information from 197 articles in all with regard to the tannin structure study was extracted. Results The compounds of 82 tannins from the genus Terminalia were reviewed. According to the structural differences, they can be divided into three categories, hydrolysable tannins, condensed tannins, and complex tannins, respectively. The fragmentation pathways of 46 identified tannins were analyzed, and the fragmentation rules of tannins were speculated according to different types. Conclusion This review has attracted attention to the active substances in this species such as the tannins summarized in further study. How to improve the extraction and purification technology of tannins from genus Terminalia is an urgent problem to be solved.
Highlights
Plants of the genus Terminalia are widely used in traditional medicine all over the world [1].ere are about 250 Terminalia species, of which at least 50 are used as food [2]
More than 82 tannins have been isolated from the fruits, barks, leaves, and galls in the plants of the genus Terminalia. e mass spectrometric data of these tannins and the structure analysis of the compounds are discussed. is review aims to provide references for the structure identification of tannin constituents in the plants of Terminalia Linn
Terminalia species have been widely used in various traditional medical systems such as Siddha, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and Western, Southern, and Central African medicinal systems [8]
Summary
Plants of the genus Terminalia (family Combretaceae) are widely used in traditional medicine all over the world [1].ere are about 250 Terminalia species, of which at least 50 are used as food [2]. Many species have biological activities including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral activities [3,4,5,6,7]. Ey are classified into three groups on the basis of their structures: hydrolysable tannins, condensed tannins, and complex tannins. Their molecular weights are greater than 500 Da. Tannins are widely distributed in various plants, and they are considered defensive molecules to protect plant tissues from herbivorous attacks because of their astringent taste [10]. It has been reported that several natural tannins and related compounds have various biological activities, including antioxidant, antitumor, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and antibacterial activities [11,12,13,14].
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