Binding to bovine serum albumin of monomeric (vescalagin and pedunculagin) and dimeric ellagitannins (roburin A, oenothein B, and gemin A) was investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence spectroscopy, which indicated two types of binding sites. Stronger and more specific sites exhibited affinity constants, K-1, of 10(4)-10(6) M-1 and stoichiometries, n(1), of 2-13 and dominated at low tannin concentrations. Weaker and less-specific binding sites had K-2 constants of 10(3)-10(5) M-1 and stoichiometries, n(2), of 16-30 and dominated at higher tannin concentrations. Binding to stronger sites appeared to be dependent on tannin flexibility and the presence of free galloyl groups. Positive entropies for all but gemin A indicated that hydrophobic interactions dominated during complexation. This was supported by an exponential relationship between the affinity, K-1, and the modeled hydrophobic accessible surface area and by a linear relationship between K-1 and the Stern Volmer quenching constant, K-sv.