An astringent substance is a chemical substance that tends to shrink or constrict
body tissues, usually locally after
topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from
Latin astringere, meaning "to bind fast". Two common examples are
calamine lotion and
witch hazel. Astringency is also the dry, puckering
mouthfeel caused by
tannins found in many
fruits such as
blackthorn,
bird cherry and
persimmon fruits. The tannins denature the salivary proteins, causing a rough "sandpapery" sensation in the mouth. Astringency tastes unpleasant to many
mammals (including humans), which tend to avoid eating astringent fruit; conversely,
birds do not taste astringency and readily eat these fruit. It is thought that fruit astringency gives a
selective advantage to some plant varieties because birds are better than mammals at long-distance
seed dispersal, often flying a great distance before passing the seeds in their
droppings.
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