Standardization and quantification of total tannins, condensed tannin and soluble phlorotannins extracted from thirty-two drifted coastal macroalgae using high performance liquid chromatography

Tannins are important phytochemicals that provide protection against insect's infestation and have been utilized for various industrial uses. In this work we report the extraction, qualitative profile and quantification of the levels of total tannins, condensed tannin (proanthocyanidins) and phlorotannins of eleven brown (BA), nine red (RA) and twelve green (GA) drifted macroalgae of Tamil Nadu coastline, India. All tested BAs, RAs and GAs possessed different tannins all at various proportions. High level of total tannin were detected in Sargassum wightii (BA), Gracilaria fergusonii (RA), Caulerpa peltata (GA), condensed tannins in Colpomenia sinuosa (BA), Caulerpa scalpelliformis (GA) and Gracilaria corticata (RA), and soluble phlorotannins in Colpomenia sinuosa (BA), Chaetomorpha media (GA) and Gracilaria corticata (GA). Our results revealed that these drifted algae can be utilized as source of tannins because of their high concentration.