Antimicrobial and Antiviral Activity of Hydrolysable Tannins

Hydrolysable tannins (HTs), secondary metabolites widely distributed in the plant kingdom, are generally multiple esters of gallic acid with glucose. HTs have been shown to be effective antagonists against viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms. The present review examines the antimicrobial and antiviral activity of HTs, the mechanism(s) of action, and some structure-activity relationships. Keywords: Hydrolysable tannins, ellagitannins, gallotannins, tannic acid, antiviral activity, antibacterial activity, antimycotic activity