Abstract

FERULIC ACID – NEITHER “A FREE RADICAL SCAVENGER” NOR “A DIETARY HEALTH MAKER”- A REVIEW

*Ravichandra S, Hari prasath K, Devi Sowjanya K, Nalini G R, Veenaeesh P

Abstract

Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, a type of organic compound. It is an abundant phenolic phytochemical found in plant cell wall components such as arabinoxylans as covalent side chains. Ferulic acid, together with dihydro ferulic acid, is a component of ligno cellulose, serving to crosslink the lignin and polysaccharides, thereby conferring rigidity to the cell walls. Ferulic acid, like many natural phenols, is an antioxidant in vitro in the sense that it is reactive toward free radicals such as reactive oxygen species. Ferulic acid, being highly abundant, may be useful as a precursor in the manufacturing of vanillin, a synthetic flavoring agent often used in place of natural vanilla extract. In this review we discussed the latest research updates are also elucidating the beneficial effects of this phenolic compound for understanding its potential applications in health and disease and also to help in the development and design of suitable dietary recommendations.

Keywords: Ferulic acid, vanillin, phenolic, dietary, Free radical.