The Health Benefits of Tamarindus indica: A Focus on the Relationship Between Phytochemical Composition and Physiological Effects
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Conventional pharmacotherapy for the most prevalent human diseases still has limited efficacy. Natural medicines are recognized for their therapeutic efficacy and low side effects. <i>Tamarindus indica</i> is a tropical tree of the <i>Fabaceae</i> family, valued for its multiple uses and the nutritional properties of its fruits. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the nutraceutical value of <i>T. indica</i>, focusing on its phytochemical composition and main health benefits. <b>Methods</b>: For this purpose, a bibliography search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases, including all articles published between 2000 and December 2025. <b>Results</b>: The <i>T. indica</i> fruit contains different phytochemical compounds, such as flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins, with therapeutic potential. These compounds exert free radical scavenging activity, improve antioxidant and detoxification enzyme activities, exert antimicrobial effects, attenuate the activation of pro-inflammatory mediators, and regulate the expression of lipid metabolism genes. <b>Conclusions</b>: This article presents an integrated analysis summarizing the phytochemical characteristics, mode of action, medical utility, and safe use of <i>T. indica</i>, thereby contributing to a greater understanding of its potential health benefits.
Authors
- Yasmany Armas Diaz
- Danila Cianciosi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8781-3535)
- Haixia Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4018-2685)
- Zexiu Qi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1809-5768)
- Bei Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5140-4502)
- Carlos Rabeiro Martinez
- Qingwei Cao
- Maurizio Battino
- José L. Quiles
- Ge Chen
Institutions
- Jiangsu University (CN)
- Marche Polytechnic University (IT)
- Universidad de Granada (ES)
- Universidad Europea del Atlántico (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nutrients
- Published
- 2026-02-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18040576
- Primary Topic
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00