Tannins: An Antinutrient with Positive Effect to Manage Diabetes

Plant tannins, including hydrolysable and condensed varieties, are well known antioxidants in medicinal plants, foods, and edible fruits. Phenolic compounds and flavonoids are a unique category of plant phytochemicals especially in terms of their vast potential health-benefiting properties. Tannins are potential antioxidants. They have been considered to be cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic, among others. Tannins enhance glucose uptake and inhibit adipogenesis, thus being potential drugs for the treatment of NIDDM. Tannins can improve the pathological oxidative state of a diabetic situation. Many earlier studies suggested that phenolic compounds and flavonoids protect against many types of cancer. In particular, phenolic compounds have been reported to modulate intracellular signalling through PI3K and p38 MAPK pathways, modulating the activity of target enzymes and modulating gene expression. Condensed Tannins have a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities including antioxidative, cardio-protective, antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory. These specific phytochemicals provide a promising area of research for future human studies and potential nutraceutical for disease prevention and treatment.