Tannin drugs

Tannins and catechin derivatives are medicinal drugs which are used in medicine and cosmetics (especially dermatology and internal medicine) due to their astringent effect. Their manifold healing effects have been proven.

Natural, medically used tanning agents are extracted from plant parts. Usually these are mixtures of substances containing one or more tanning agents. Tanning agents serve the plants as rot protection.

List of plants or parts of plants that contain medicinally active tannins

• Gall apples (Gallae) from Quercus infectoria
• Hamamelis leaves (Hamamelidis folium) from Hamamelis virginiana = witch hazel
• Oak bark (Quercus cortex)
• Ratanhia root (Ratanhiae radix)
• Tormentillae rhizoma (bloodroot root from Potentilla erecta)
• Myrtilli fructus (blueberries)
• Juglandis folium (walnut leaves) from Juglans regia

Folk medicine uses include:

• Alchemilla herba (lady's mantle herb)
• Rubi fruticosi folium (blackberry leaves)
• Potentilla anserina (goose cinquefoil)
• Plantago major (plantain leaves)
• Plantaginis lanceolatae herba(ribwort plantain leaves)
• Rose petals

Tanning agents have an astringent effect, i.e. they precipitate proteins from the uppermost tissue layers of the skin and the mucous membrane. This leads to a cohesive membrane-like protein layer. The astringent effect prevents the absorption of toxic protein products. At the same time, the multiplication and penetration of bacteria through skin and mucous membrane is reduced. Vegetable tanning drugs have an antibacterial, antifungal and an antiviral (Herpes simplex virus). They also have a soothing, anti-inflammatory and slightly local anaesthetic effect.

Antimicrobial action: Their astringent and drying action deprives bacteria that have settled on the skin or a mucous membrane of their breeding ground. The penetration of bacteria and fungi into the tissue is made more difficult.

Antiviral effect: Tanning drugs also have an antiviral effect(HPV, HSV), although the antiviral effect on herpes simplex viruses is less than that of acyclovir. A 10% catechin extract (epigallocatechin gallate - Veregen®) is available as a highly effective therapeutic agent for condylomata acuminata.

Antiecematous effects of tanning agents have been demonstrated in several studies. However, it seems to be less than a comparable 0.5% hydrocortisone application. Moist compresses with green or black tea (tea leaves are left to steep for 8-10 minutes, then placed on a soft gauze carrier for 3-5 minutes on the inflammatory areas) have a good and complementary anti-inflammatory effect.

Pain and wound secretion are reduced and capillary bleeding is stopped.

Anti-inflammatory effect with oral application: Tanning agents are used in: inflammation of the stomach and intestines, mild diarrhoea, inflammation of the mouth and throat, as a haemostatic agent, for rapid wound healing and for minor burns and frost damage.

Effects in poisoning: Tannin drugs act as an antidote to heavy metal or alkaloid poisoning as they can dissolve heavy metal ions and alkaloids from their compounds.

Tanning agents reduce the absorption of basic medicines and some minerals such as iron during oral application.

Hametum Creme® (witch hazel extracts), Hamamelis ointment®, Virgamelis cream®, Deskin® al Lotio, solution, Lipolotio.

Vegetable tanning agents are also called vegetable tanning agents or tannins in a broader sense, whereby tannin in the proper sense is understood to be a mixture of esters of D-glucose with gallic acid, galloylgallic acid, trigallic acid. Tannin is produced as an extract from the various types of bile. plants.

1. Buhles N (1992) Nonsteroidal local therapy of endogenous eczema. Act dermatol 18: 112-115
2. Erdelmeier CAJ et al (1995) Antiviral and antiphlogistic activities of hamamelis virginiana bark. Planta Med 62: 241-245
3. He L et al(2013) (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 oncoprotein-induced angiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer cells by targeting HIF-1α. Cancer chemother Pharmacol 71:713-725.
4. Kang TH et al (2007) Epigallocatechin-3-gallate enhances CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity induced by DNA vaccination. Cancer Res 67:802-811.
5. These LL et al (2014) Tannins from Hamamelis virginiana bark extract: characterization and improvement of the antiviral efficacy against influenza A virus and human papillomavirus. PLoS One 9(1):e88062.
6. Zou C et al (2010) Green tea compound in chemoprevention of cervical cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer 20:617-624.