Ferulic acid

Category: Natural chemicals

Type

Voluntary

Introduction and description

 

Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, a type of organic compound. It is an abundant phenolic phytochemical found in plant cell walls. Its name comes from the word Ferula, referring to the giant fennel. Ferulic acid, like many natural phenols, is an antioxidant. It also appears to have a chelating agent effect on some toxins, very notably metals.

It can be found in lots of other foods and plants, for example: -

• Asafoetida – a separate entry on this website is available for this
• Angelica
• Ice plants [ carpobrotus edulis]
• Wholegrains - in both seeds and cell walls of commelinid plants such as rice, wheat, and oats
• Flax - the highest known concentration of ferulic acid glucoside has been found in flax seed (4.1 +/- 0.2 g/kg).
• Pineapple
• Chinese water chestnut
• White beans - the white bean variety navy bean is the richest source of ferulic acid among the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties.
• Sweet corn - Cooked sweet corn releases increased levels of ferulic acid.
• Rice bran oil - this compound is naturally found in rice bran oil, a popular cooking oil in several Asian countries
• Yacon tea - The tea brewed from the leaves of yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius), traditionally grown in the Northern and Central Andes, contains quantities of ferulic acid
• Centaurium erythraea - the tea brewed from the European centaury (Centaurium erythraea), a plant used as a medical herb in many parts of Europe.

 

In general it has a number of health related properties, for example it has antibacterial and antioxidant properties. 

More detail is provided in the observations.

Related observations

Healing observations

• A novel arsenate respiring isolate that can utilize aromatic substrates 017779
• Ameliorative effects of ferulic Acid against lead acetate-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunctions and toxicity in prepubertal rat brain 017777
• Dr Duke's list of activity for Ferulic acid 017775
• Dr Duke's list of chemicals and activity for the Shallot 017969
• Dr Duke's list of Plants with Metal chelating ability from FERULIC ACID - PART 1 018253
• Dr Duke's list of Plants with Metal chelating ability from FERULIC ACID - PART 2 018254
• Dr Duke’s list of Chemicals and their Biological Activities in: Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae) -- Zucchini 027494
• Dr Duke’s list of Chemicals with Candidicide Activity 021075
• Foods to help with Benzopyrene 006913
• Nephroprotective effects of ferulic acid, Z-ligustilide and E-ligustilide isolated from Angelica sinensis against cisplatin toxicity in vitro 017776
• Protective effect of vanilloids against chemical stress on the white-rot fungus Ganoderma lucidum 017778
• The effect of the phenolic antioxidant ferulic acid on the oxidation of low density lipoprotein depends on the pro-oxidant used 017780