Ellagitannins are literally a class of tannins. Triggered by the oxidation of the phenolic parts on β-pentagalloyl-d-glucose, ellagitannins are generated through various structural conversions, such as the coupling of the phenolic parts, oxidation to highly complex structures, and the formation of dimer and lager analogs, which expand the structural diversity. To date, more than 1000 natural ellagitannins have been identified. Since these phenolic compounds exhibit a variety of biological activities, ellagitannins have potential applications in medicine and health enhancement. Within the context of identifying suitable applications, considerations need to be based on correct structural features. This review describes the structural revisions of 32 natural ellagitannins, namely alnusiin; alnusnin A and B; castalagin; castalin; casuarinin; cercidinin A and B; chebulagic acid; chebulinic acid; corilagin; geraniin; isoterchebin; nobotanin B, C, E, G, H, I, J, and K; punicalagin; punicalin; punigluconin; roxbin B; sanguiin H-2, H-3, and H-6; stachyurin; terchebin; vescalagin; and vescalin. The major focus is on the outline of the initial structural determination, on the processes to find the errors in the structure, and on the methods for the revision of the structure.
Keywords: ellagitannin; revision; structure.