Analysis of phenolic compounds including tannins, gallotannins and flavanols of Uapaca kirkiana fruit

Tannins and phenolic acids were extracted from Uapaca kirkiana unripe pulp, seed coat, peel and embryo, as well as from ripe pulp, seed coat, embryo and peel portions of the fruit. Extraction was done using 50% methanol. More tannins were detected in the embryos of both ripe and raw fruit. Both ripe and raw seed coat contained the least amounts of tannins. The flavanoids and gallotannins also followed the same trend, with most of them in the embryos of both, the ripe and raw, fruit portions whilst the least were found in the seed coat. Tannins were, however lost during sun-drying compared to oven-drying, even though the differences were not very large. Also, raw fruits showed high concentrations of tannins compared to the ripe fruits. Hydroxybenzoic acid was found in the peel and pulp but none was detected in the seed coat or in the embryo. Similar phenolic acids were detected in the seed coat, except for caffeic acid and protocatechuic acid, detected in the embryo by both the UV florescence and Folin spray.