Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids ? are phenolic compounds and types of

aromatic acid Aromatic acids are a type of aromatic compound. Included in that class are substances containing an aromatic ring and an organic acid functional group. There are several categories of aromatic acids including: *Phenolic acids: substances containin ...

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 Cinnamic acid is an organic compound with the formula phenyl, C6H5-CH=CH-Carboxylic acid, COOH. It is a white crystalline compound that is slightly soluble in water, and freely soluble in many organic solvents. Classified as an unsaturated carboxy ...

, 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 gram ''Macrotyloma uniflorum'' (horsegram, also known as horse gram, kulthi bean, gahat, hurali, or Madras gram) is a legume native to tropical southern Asia, known for its distinct taste and texture, widely used legume in many cuisines. It is also kno ...

s (''Macrotyloma uniflorum'') are mostly phenolic acids, namely 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic, ''p''-hydroxy benzoic, vanillic, caffeic, ''p''-coumaric, ferulic, syringic, and

sinapinic acid Sinapinic acid, or sinapic acid (Sinapine - Origin: L. Sinapi, sinapis, mustard, Gr., cf. F. Sinapine.), is a small naturally occurring hydroxycinnamic acid. It is a member of the phenylpropanoid family. It is a commonly used matrix in MALDI mas ...

s. 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 Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and many other animals. In placental mammals, urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder and exits the urethra through the penile meatus (males) or urethral meatu ...

Chemistry

Immobilized ''

Candida antarctica ''Moesziomyces antarcticus '' is a species of fungus in the order Ustilaginales. The species occurs as a yeast and was originally isolated from Antarctic lake sediment. It is a rare cause of human fungaemia infections. The yeast is a source of i ...

'' lipase can be used to catalyze the direct acetylation of

flavonoids Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

with phenolic acids.

References

{{Phenolic acid Phenolic acids

Occurrences

Chemistry

See also

References