Generic placeholder image

Current Traditional Medicine

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 2215-0838
ISSN (Online): 2215-0846

Mini-Review Article

A Descriptive Analysis of the Nutraceutical Constituents, Extraction Techniques, and Possible Health Benefits of Tamarind

Author(s): Pranay Wal, Biplab Debnath, Dhrubajyoti Sarkar, Neha Verma, Shruti Rathore and Ankita Wal*

Volume 10, Issue 7, 2024

Published on: 27 September, 2023

Article ID: e180923221214 Pages: 12

DOI: 10.2174/2215083810666230918142027

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: Tamarind is a multifunctional tree, with nearly every portion having significant nutritional or therapeutic use. The fruit, which produces acidic pulp, is the most valuable and often utilized portion.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to discuss the distribution, habitat, chemical constituents and extraction techniques of tamarind.

Methods: This study reviews the chemical constituents, health benefits and extraction techniques of tamarind. Databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were used to search articles from 1990 to 2022. The key search terms included tamarind, phytoconstituents extraction and anti-nutritional factor. Research studies also included similar plant parts extracted from similar solvents which were considered in this review.

Results: According to our observations, Tamarindus indica is a crucial plant with significant pharmacological properties. It is extensively used as a conventional medicine to treat a variety of disorders; however, its active ingredients require further investigation for future drug development and pharmacological activity. Tamarind contains a diverse range of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, vitamins, and minerals, which have been associated with various health-promoting properties. The study examines different extraction methods used to isolate tamarind's bioactive constituents, such as solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Furthermore, the research highlights the potential health benefits of tamarind, including antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effects, gastrointestinal support, cardiovascular benefits, and antimicrobial properties.

Discussion: Tamarind includes citric acid, linoleic acid, volatile oils, vitamin C, potassium, Camp sterol, -amyrin, Tannins, saponins, and glycosides as a result of this. It has several pharmacological properties such as reducing swelling, preventing oxidation, hypolipidemic, weight loss, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, and painkiller properties. These properties will assist to generate interest in Tamarind and develop novel preparations with more medicinal and commercial potential. The findings indicate that tamarind holds significant promise as a natural resource for developing functional foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals with potential positive impacts on human health.

Keywords: Tamarind, phytoconstituents, laxative, extraction, antioxidant, nutraceutical.

Graphical Abstract
[1]
Soni N, Singh VK. Traditional, nutraceutical and pharmacological approaches of Tamarindus indica (Imli). Eur J Med Res 2019; 9(3): 141-54.
[2]
Shams R, Pandey VK, Dar AH, Tripathi A. A Descriptive review on nutraceutical constituents, detoxification methods and potential health benefits of flaxseed. Appl Food Biotechnol 2022; 11: 100239.
[3]
Arshad MS, Imran M, Ahmed A, et al. Tamarind: A diet‐based strategy against lifestyle maladies. Food Sci Nutr 2019; 7(11): 3378-90.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1218] [PMID: 31762991]
[4]
Idris MM, Karamba H, Ayoubi R. Tamarindus indica. -A review paper on efficacy of tamarind plant in water treatment and purification. Int J Sci Eng Res 2018; 9(10): 1-11.
[5]
De Caluwé E, Halamouá K, Van Damme P. Tamarindus indica L. – A review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Afrika Focus 2010; 23(1): 53-83.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2031356X-02301006]
[6]
Glew RS, Vanderjagt DJ, Chuang LT, Huang YS, Millson M, Glew RH. Nutrient content of four edible wild plants from west Africa. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2005; 60(4): 187-93.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11130-005-8616-0] [PMID: 16395630]
[7]
Meher B, Dash DK, Roy A. A review on: Phytochemistry, pharmacology and traditional uses of Tamarindus indica L. World J Pharm Pharm Sci 2014; 3(10): 229-40.
[8]
Krishnamurthy KS, Sapna VP, Parthasarathy VA. Chemistry of spices. Wallingford: CABI Digital Library 2008; p. 434.
[9]
El-Siddig K, Ebert G, Lüdders P. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.): A review on a multipurpose tree with promising future in the Sudan. J Appl Bot Food Qual 1999; 73(5-6): 202-5.
[10]
Adeola AA. Amino acid composition of tamarind fruit growing wild in Oyo town. Fountain J Nat Appl Sci 2013; 2(1): 1-5.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.53704/fujnas.v2i1.45]
[11]
Balakrishna V, Senthil Kumar D, Lakshmi T. Tamarindus indica L.(Fabaceae): Extent of explored use in traditional medicine. Asian J Pharm Clin Res 2020; 13(3): 28-32.
[12]
Ishola MM, Agbaji EB, Agbaji AS. A chemical study ofTamarindus indica (Tsamiya) fruits grown in Nigeria. J Sci Food Agric 1990; 51(1): 141-3.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740510113]
[13]
Glew RH, Vanderjagt DJ, Lockett C, et al. Amino acid, fatty acid, and mineral composition of 24 indigenous plants of Burkina Faso. J Food Compos Anal 1997; 10(3): 205-17.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jfca.1997.0539]
[14]
Ajayi IA, Oderinde RA, Kajogbola DO, Uponi JI. Oil content and fatty acid composition of some underutilized legumes from Nigeria. Food Chem 2006; 99(1): 115-20.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.06.045]
[15]
Pal D, Mukherjee S. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) seeds in health and nutrition InNuts and Seeds in Health and Disease Prevention. Academic Press 2020; pp. 171-82.
[16]
Almeida MMB, Sousa PHMD, Fonseca ML, Magalhães CEC, Lopes MDFG, Lemos TLGD. Evaluation of macro and micro-mineral content in tropical fruits cultivated in the northeast of Brazil. Food Sci Technol 2009; 29: 581-6.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0101-20612009000300020]
[17]
Sadiq IS, Duruminiya NI, Balogun JB, Kwada D, Izuagie T. Nutritional and anti-nutritional value of tamarind fruit (Tamarindus indica). Indian J Appl Res Technol 2016; 5(3): 50-6.
[18]
Richa M, Ranu P, Anisha V. Nutritional composition, anti-nutritional factors and antioxidant activity of waste seeds (Mango seeds and Tamarind seeds). J Pharmacogn Phytochem 2018; 7(3): 1078-80.
[19]
Sahoo PK, Das S. A comprehensive review on the processing technologies of tamarind seed oil and its potential applications. J Am Oil Chem Soc 2022; 99: 1555-73.
[20]
Narsaiah K, Shanmugam SA, Pavithra AS. Extraction, characterization, and stability studies of tamarind kernel oil. J Food Sci 2020; 85(11): 3921-31.
[21]
Andriamanantena RW, Artaud J, Gaydou EM, Iatrides MC, Chevalier JL. Fatty acid and sterol compositions of malagasy tamarind kernel oils. J Am Oil Chem Soc 1983; 60(7): 1318-21.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02702108]
[22]
Tsuda T, Watanabe M, Ohshima K, Yamamoto A, Kawakishi S, Osawa T. Antioxidative components isolated from the seed of tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.). J Agric Food Chem 1994; 42(12): 2671-4.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf00048a004]
[23]
Dhamija I. IMLII: A craze lovely. Int Res J Pharm 2012; 3(8): 110-5.
[24]
Jhala AJ, Hall LM. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.): Current uses and future applications. Aust J Basic Appl Sci 2010; 4(9): 4304-12.
[25]
Idris SA, Rosli NR, Raja Aris RMA. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of fatty acids compounds from tamarind seeds. Mater Today Proc 2022; 63: S462-6.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.04.129]
[26]
Zawawi MNAA, Dabwa AHA, Hassan LS. Extraction of essential oils from tamarind leaves and seed using microwave extraction. Journal of Wastes and Biomass Management 2020; 2(2): 49-52.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.26480/jwbm.02.2020.49.52]
[27]
Chahdoura H, Mhadhbi H, Kechaou N. Microwave-assisted extraction of oil from tamarind seeds: Characterization and evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. J Food Sci Technol 2019; 56(8): 3658-66.
[28]
Luque de Castro MD, García-Ayuso LE. Soxhlet extraction of solid materials: An outdated technique with a promising innovative future. Anal Chim Acta 1998; 369(1-2): 1-10.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(98)00233-5]
[29]
Fagbemi KO, Aina DA, Olajuyigbe OO. Soxhlet extraction versus hydrodistillation using the clevenger apparatus: A comparative study on the extraction of a volatile compound from Tamarindus indica seeds. ScientificWorldJournal 2021; 2021: 1-8.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5961586] [PMID: 34899085]
[30]
Gawali A, Kamble S, Gawai K. Soxhlet Extraction of tamarind seed: Characterization and evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. J Agric Food Chem 2021; 69(3): 1070-8.
[31]
Kamal M, Vijayalakshmi MA. Extraction of tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) seed oil by hydro distillation and evaluation of its antioxidant activity. J Pharm Res 2020; 14(12): 1272-5.
[32]
Ahmad A, Ahmad W, Zeenat F, Sajid M. Therapeutic, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Tamarindus indica: A review. Int J Unani Integr Med 2018; 2(2): 14-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.33545/2616454X.2018.v2.i2a.27]
[33]
Puri V, Nagpal M, Singh I, et al. A comprehensive review on nutraceuticals: Therapy support and formulation challenges. Nutrients 2022; 14(21): 4637.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu14214637] [PMID: 36364899]
[34]
Abdallah MS, Muhammad A. Antibacterial activity of leaves and fruit extract of Tamarindus indica against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Shigella at Potiskum Yobe state, Nigeria. J Anal Pharm Res 2018; 7(5): 606-9.
[35]
Masatte M, Candia A, Ocheng AG. The commercial viability of tamarind (Tamarindus indica Linn) fruit based products for improved incoming among farmers in Northrn and Eastern Uganda. Afr J Food Sci Tech 2015; 6(6): 167-76.
[36]
Morton JF. The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.); Its Food, Medicinal and Industrial Uses. Proc Annu Meet Fla State Hort Soc 1958; 71: 288-93.
[37]
Maiti R, Das UK, Ghosh D. Attenuation of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by aqueous extract of seed of Tamarindus indica. Biol Pharm Bull 2005; 28(7): 1172-6.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1248/bpb.28.1172] [PMID: 15997092]
[38]
Kuru P. Tamarindus indica and its health related effects. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014; 4(9): 676-81.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.12980/APJTB.4.2014APJTB-2014-0173]
[39]
Sole SS, Srinivasan BP, Akarte AS. Anti-inflammatory action of Tamarind seeds reduces hyperglycemic excursion by repressing pancreatic β-cell damage and normalizing SREBP-1c concentration. Pharm Biol 2013; 51(3): 350-60.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/13880209.2012.729067] [PMID: 23151094]
[40]
Havinga RM, Hartl A, Putscher J, Prehsler S, Buchmann C, Vogl CR. Tamarindus indica L. (Fabaceae): Patterns of use in traditional African medicine. J Ethnopharmacol 2010; 127(3): 573-88.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.11.028] [PMID: 19963055]
[41]
Jain AP, Bhadoriya SS, Ganeshpurkar A, Narwaria J, Rai G. Tamarindus indica: Extent of explored potential. Pharmacogn Rev 2011; 5(9): 73-81.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.79102] [PMID: 22096321]
[42]
Dalziel JM. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. London: Whitefriars Press Ltd 1937.
[43]
Lockett CT, Grivetti LE. Food-related behaviors during drought: A study of rural Fulani, northeastern Nigeria. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2000; 51(2): 91-107.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/096374800100796] [PMID: 10953753]
[44]
Chhabra SC, Mahunnah BLA, Mshiu EN. Plants used in traditional medicine in eastern Tanzania. I. Pteridophytes and angiosperms (acanthaceae to canellaceae). J Ethnopharmacol 1987; 21(3): 253-77.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(87)90103-6] [PMID: 3326975]
[45]
Rimbau V, Risco E, Canigueral S, Iglesias J. Antiinflammatory activity of some extracts from plants used in the traditional medicine of North‐African countries. Phytother Res 1996; 10(5): 421-3.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199608)10:5<421:AID-PTR851>3.0.CO;2-U] [PMID: 10190185]
[46]
Suralkar AA, Rodge KN, Kamble RD, Maske KS. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Tamarindus indica seeds. Int J Pharm Sci Drug Res 2012; 4(3): 213-7.
[47]
Patil MJ, Pimple BP, Kadam PV, Badgujar NS, Bafna AR. Protective effect of Tamarindus indica linn against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Indian J Pharm Sci 2007; 69(6): 827.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0250-474X.39445]
[48]
Al-Fatimi M, Wurster M, Schröder G, Lindequist U. Antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of selected medicinal plants from Yemen. J Ethnopharmacol 2007; 111(3): 657-66.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2007.01.018] [PMID: 17306942]
[49]
Ushanandini S, Nagaraju S, Harish Kumar K, et al. The anti-snake venom properties of Tamarindus indica (leguminosae) seed extract. Phytother Res 2006; 20(10): 851-8.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1951] [PMID: 16847999]
[50]
Inngjerdingen K, Nergård CS, Diallo D, Mounkoro PP, Paulsen BS. An ethnopharmacological survey of plants used for wound healing in Dogonland, Mali, West Africa. J Ethnopharmacol 2004; 92(2-3): 233-44.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2004.02.021] [PMID: 15138006]
[51]
Tignokpa M, Laurens A, Mboup S, Sylla O. Popular medicinal plants of the markets of Dakar (Senegal). Int J Crude Drug Res 1986; 24(2): 75-80.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/13880208609083310]
[52]
Naik TI. P S, Mundugaru R, T SB. Wound healing activity of Tamarindus indica Linn. seed and cork ash. J Ayurv Med Sci 2017; 2(1): 129-35.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.5530/jams.2017.2.5]
[53]
Abukakar MG, Ukwuani AN, Shehu RA. Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of Tamarindus indica pulp extract. Asian Journal of Biochemistry 2008; 3(2): 134-8.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3923/ajb.2008.134.138]
[54]
Doughari JH. Antimicrobial activity of Tamarindus indica Linn. Trop J Pharm Res 2006; 5(2): 597-603.
[55]
Muthu SE, Nandakumar S, Rao UA. The effect of methanolic extract of Tamarindus indica Linn. on the growth of clinical isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Indian J Med Res 2005; 122(6): 525-8.
[PMID: 16518004]
[56]
Escalona-Arranz J, Péres-Roses R, Urdaneta-Laffita I, Camacho-Pozo M, Rodríguez-Amado J, Licea-Jiménez I. Antimicrobial activity of extracts from Tamarindus indica L. leaves. Pharmacogn Mag 2010; 6(23): 242-7.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-1296.66944] [PMID: 20931087]
[57]
Nwodo UU, Obiiyeke GE, Chigor VN, Okoh AI. Assessment of Tamarindus indica extracts for antibacterial activity. Int J Mol Sci 2011; 12(10): 6385-96.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms12106385] [PMID: 22072893]
[58]
Vaghasiya Y, Chanda S. Screening of some traditionally used Indian plants for antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumonia. J Herb Med Toxicol 2009; 3(2): 161-4.
[59]
Sahelian R. Health Benefit of Tamarind: Tamarind Seed Eye Drops. BMC Ophthalmol 2007; 29(7): 5-10.
[60]
Zohrameena S, Mujahid M, Bagga P, et al. Medicinal uses & pharmacological activity of Tamarindus indica. World J Pharm Sci 2017; pp. 121-33.
[61]
Izquierdo T, García-Tamayo F, Soto C, Castrillón LE. A Tamarindus indica. Linn pulp polysaccharide inhibits fever in vivo. and IL-1β release by murine peritoneal exudate cells. Pharm Biol 2007; 45(1): 22-30.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13880200601026309]
[62]
Martinello F, Soares SM, Franco JJ, et al. Hypolipemic and antioxidant activities from Tamarindus indica L. pulp fruit extract in hypercholesterolemic hamsters. Food Chem Toxicol 2006; 44(6): 810-8.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2005.10.011] [PMID: 16330140]
[63]
Jindal V, Dhingra D, Sharma S, Parle M, Harna RK. Hypolipidemic and weight reducing activity of the ethanolic extract of Tamarindus indica fruit pulp in cafeteria diet- and sulpiride-induced obese rats. J Pharmacol Pharmacother 2011; 2(2): 80-4.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0976-500X.81896] [PMID: 21772765]
[64]
Ahmad A, Ahmad W, Zeenat F, Sajid M. Therapeutic, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Tamarindus indica: A review. Int J Unani Integr Medicine (Baltimore) 2018; 2: 14-9.
[65]
Kumar S, Kalra P, Sharma S. Suman. Antiulcer effect of the methanolic extract of Tamarindus indica seeds in different experimental models. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2011; 3(2): 236-41.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0975-7406.80778] [PMID: 21687352]
[66]
Tayade PM, Ghaisas MM, Jagtap SA, Dongre SH. Anti-asthmatic activity of methanolic extract of leaves of Tamarindus indica Linn. J Pharm Res 2009; 2(5): 944-7.
[67]
Parvez SS. Analysis of chemical components and oxygen radical absorbance capacity of Tamarindus indica L. Nettai Nogyo 2003; 47(4): 243-9.
[68]
Tsuda T, Watanabe M, Ohshima K, Yamamoto A, Kawakishi S, Osawa T. components isolated from the seed of tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.). J Agric Food Chem 1994; 42(12): 2671-4.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf00048a004]
[69]
Siddhuraju P. Antioxidant activity of polyphenolic compounds extracted from defatted raw and dry heated Tamarindus indica seed coat. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2007; 40(6): 982-90.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2006.07.010]
[70]
Akter H, Mamunur Rashid M, Shahidul Islam M, et al. Biometabolites of Tamarindus indica play a remarkable cardioprotective role as a functional food in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity models. J Funct Foods 2022; 96: 105212.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2022.105212]
[71]
Bressiani PA, De Lima GRF, Düsman E, Tonin LTD. Cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of Tamarindus indica pulp extract from Brazil. J Food Meas Charact 2021; 15(3): 2743-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11694-021-00855-4]
[72]
Sreelekha TT, Vijayakumar T, Ankanthil R, Vijayan KK, Nair MK. Immunomodulatory effects of a polysaccharide from Tamarindus indica. Anticancer Drugs 1993; 4(2): 209-12.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00001813-199304000-00013] [PMID: 8490201]
[73]
Waqas MK, Khan BA, Akhtar N, et al. Fabrication of Tamarindus indica seeds extract loaded-cream for photo-aged skin: Visioscan® studies. Postepy Dermatol Alergol 2017; 4(4): 339-45.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/ada.2017.69314] [PMID: 28951709]
[74]
Povichit N, Phrutivorapongkul A, Suttajit M, Chaiyasut CC, Leelapornpisid P. Phenolic content and in vitro inhibitory effects on oxidation and protein glycation of some Thai medicinal plants. Pak J Pharm Sci 2010; 23(4): 403-8.
[PMID: 20884454]
[75]
Maruga Raja M, Poonguzhali S, Rao BV, Choudhury A, Devarajan A. A Scientific evidence-based review of tamarind usage in Indian folklore medicine. J Nat Rem 2022; 347-62.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.18311/jnr/2022/30123]
[76]
Veena T. Jayaprakash. Tamarind as a sailogogue. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1999; 43(3): 401-2.
[PMID: 10776493]

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy