| Description |
Ferulic acid, also known as ferulate, is a member of the class of compounds known as hydroxycinnamic acids. Hydroxycinnamic acids are compounds containing an cinnamic acid where the benzene ring is hydroxylated. Ferulic acid is practically insoluble (in water) and a weakly acidic compound (based on its pKa). Ferulic acid can be synthesized from cis-cinnamic acid. Ferulic acid is also a parent compound for other transformation products, including but not limited to, (2S,3S)-cis-fertaric acid, (2R,3R)-cis-fertaric acid, and (Z)-4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamoylagmatine. Ferulic acid can be found in a number of food items such as pineapple, pear, evergreen huckleberry, and silver linden, which makes ferulic acid a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, a type of organic compound. It is an abundant phenolic phytochemical found in plant cell walls, covalently bonded as side chains to molecules such as arabinoxylans. As a component of lignin, ferulic acid is a precursor in the manufacture of other aromatic compounds. The name is derived from the genus Ferula, referring to the giant fennel (Ferula communis) . |
