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Astringent
Chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Stringent.
An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin adstringere, which means "to bind fast". Astringency, the dry, puckering or numbing mouthfeel caused by the tannins[1][2] in unripe fruits, lets the fruit mature by deterring eating. Tannins, being a kind of polyphenol, bind salivary proteins and make them precipitate and aggregate,[3][4][5] producing a rough, "sandpapery", or dry sensation in the mouth.
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Smoking tobacco is also reported to have an astringent effect.[6]
In a scientific study, astringency was still detectable by subjects who had local anesthesia applied to their taste nerves, but not when both these and the trigeminal nerves were disabled.[7]