TANNINS AS A CHEMICAL AGENT

Plants containing tannin compounds (also called tannic acid) are usually used for mordanting textiles of wool, silk and cotton etc. nowadays. The mordant types using in the natural dyeing are rather important. Mordants such as chrome and copper have been usually used for mordanting the textiles. But these mordants are not ecofriendly, toxic and carcinogen chemicals. Whereas, the tannin compounds are non-toxic and eco-friendly. However, these compounds can show antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities at the same time. Two tannin-rich mordant sources in Turkey are walloon oak (Quercus ithaburensis Decaisne) or gall oak (Quercus infectoria Olivier). The tannin compounds determined in the natural dyeing, in the present-day textiles or the historical textiles are mostly gallic acid (a trihydroxybenzoic acid), ellagic acid or their derivatives.