Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids ? are phenolic compounds and types of aromatic acid compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic

carboxylic acid In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group () attached to an Substituent, R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is often written as or , sometimes as with R referring to an organyl ...

function (C6-C1 skeleton). Two important naturally occurring types of phenolic acids are

hydroxybenzoic acid Hydroxybenzoic acid may refer to several related chemical compounds: * 2-Hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid, ''o''-hydroxybenzoic acid) * 3-Hydroxybenzoic acid (''m''-hydroxybenzoic acid) * 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid) See ...

s and

hydroxycinnamic acid Hydroxycinnamic acids (hydroxycinnamates) are a class of aromatic acids or phenylpropanoids having a C6–C3 skeleton. These compounds are hydroxy derivatives of cinnamic acid. In the category of List of phytochemicals in food, phytochemicals tha ...

s, which are derived from non-phenolic molecules of benzoic and cinnamic acid, respectively.

Occurrences

Phenolic acids can be found in many plant species. Their content in

dried fruit Dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed prior to cooking or being eaten on its own. Drying may occur either naturally, by sun, through the use of industrial dehydrators, or by freeze drying. ...

s can be high. Natural phenols in horse grams (''Macrotyloma uniflorum'') are mostly phenolic acids, namely 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic, ''p''-hydroxy benzoic, vanillic, caffeic, ''p''-coumaric, ferulic, syringic, and sinapinic acids. Phenolic acids can be found in several mushroom-forming species of

basidiomycetes Basidiomycota () is one of two large division (mycology), divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. Mor ...

. It is also a part of the humic substances, which are the major organic constituents of soil humus. Many phenolic acids can be found in human urine.

Chemistry

Immobilized '' Candida antarctica'' lipase can be used to catalyze the direct acetylation of flavonoids with phenolic acids.

References

{{Phenolic acid Phenolic acids

Occurrences

Chemistry

See also

References