Ferulic acid: pharmaceutical functions, preparation and applications in foods
Abstract
Ferulic acid (4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxycinnamic acid), an effective component of Chinese medicine herbs such as Angelica sinensis, Cimicifuga heracleifolia and Lignsticum chuangxiong , is a ubiquitous phenolic acid in the plant kingdom. It is mainly conjugated with mono‐ and oligosaccharides, polyamines, lipids and polysaccharides and seldom occurs in a free state in plants. Ferulic acid is a phenolic acid of low toxicity; it can be absorbed and easily metabolized in the human body. Ferulic acid has been reported to have many physiological functions, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐thrombosis, and anti‐cancer activities. It also protects against coronary disease, lowers cholesterol and increases sperm viability. Because of these properties and its low toxicity, ferulic acid is now widely used in the food and cosmetic industries. It is used as the raw material for the production of vanillin and preservatives, as a cross‐linking agent for the preparation of food gels and edible films, and as an ingredient in sports foods and skin protection agents. Ferulic acid can be prepared by chemical synthesis and through biological transformation. As polysaccharide ferulate is a natural and abundant source of ferulic acid, preparation of ferulic acid from plant cell wall materials will be a prospective pathway. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
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Ferulic acid is a potent phenolic antioxidant found ubiquitously and at high concentrations in plants.
“Ferulic acid is a potent phenolic antioxidant found ubiquitously and at high concentrations in plants (Graf, 1992;Rice-Evans et al, 1996;Ou and Kwok, 2004).”
From Ferulic Acid Stabilizes a Solution of Vitamins C and E and Doubles its Photoprotection of Skin (2005) · cites this paper as Ou and Kwok, 2004
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- Authors
- Ou, S., & Kwok, K.
- Affiliations
- Jinan University (CN)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Kwok, Kin‐Chor
- ORCID
- Ou, Shiyi
- Venue
- Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2004-07-28
- Volume
- 84
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1261-1269
- ISSN
- 0022-5142 (ISSN-L)
- 1097-0010
- OpenAlex
- W2028666136
- Cited by
- 869
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 55 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 77 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 49 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 50 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 10.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (publishedVersion)
- PolyU Institutional Research Archive (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biotechnology › Biochemical and biochemical processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant chemical constituents analysis
- Keywords
- ferulic acid, phenolic acids, food additives, food preservatives, vanillin, plant cell wall, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anticancer activity, Angelica sinensis, food gels, edible films, sports foods, cosmetics, chemical synthesis, biotransformation
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