Abstract:
Tamarind ( Tamarindus indica ) a large to very large evergreen tree up to 30 m in
height with dark grey bark having longitudinal Fissures and deep cracks, leaves
paripinnate up to 15 cm long, rachis slender, channeled leaflets 10-20 pairs, fruits
pods, brownish ash coloured.
Fruit contains tartaric acid, citric, acid, malic acid and potassium bitartarate and traces
of Oxalic acid, kernel, polysaccharides.
The fruits are sour, sweet, refrigerant, digestive, carminative, laxative, anti-scorbutic,
anti- septic , ophthalmic and febrifuge tamarind is also used to the face for antifreckle
and anti-aging purposes, Currently, Tamarind extract is used as a ingredient in
body cleansing products for adjusting skin acidity condition, and antiseptic antiallergy
and skin tightening purposes such as anti-aging ,anti-wrinkle and maintain the
skin’s elasticity due to the inhibition of proteolytic and hydrolytic enzymes that
destroy the collagen, elastic and hyarulonic acid in the skin, which protect skin from
sun damage. A cosmetic patch containing tamarind fruit extract was formulated and
developed by blending tow types of natural polymers, chitosarn with molecular weight
of 100 000 and starch such as com, potato or tapioca starch. The physicochemical
characteristics, flexibility, colour, transparency, integrity, gloss, water sorption and
bioadhesion property and the stability of the patch without tamarind content were
investigated.
Nearly 50% of the tartaric acid is in the combined form mainly as potassium bitartrate
and to a small extent as calcium tratrate, which is insoluble in cold water, Therefore,
cold water extract of the pulp contains only a part of the available tartaric acid and
hence hot water is to be used to extract the total acids in the pulp. About 2% of other
acids (malic acid, citric acid, quinic acid, oxalic acid and succinic acid) are also
present in the pulp.
