Abstract

Acacia xanthophloea species, a tropical plant and a member of the Fabacea family is a ubiquitous and native shrub of the Eastern and Southern Africa regions. Although plant species in the Fabacea family are known as a source of tannins, very little is known about their phytochemistry. This study aimed at determining the suitability of Acacia xanthophloea as a viable tanning agent for the leather industry. The crude extract of Acacia xanthophloea was phytochemically screened using a series of qualitative tests while the total phenolic content and tannin content of the Acacia crude extract was determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The functional groups of the compounds in the crude extract were determined using FTIR while Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the surface morphological changes that take place during the tanning process. Results of phytochemical screening indicated the presence of: alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and saponins. Total phenolic content at 249.1mg TAE/g and total tannin content at 39.8mg TAE/g (16%) is reported. The results of this study indicate that the organic extract of Acacia xanthopholea could be a good source of tannins for leather tanning.