Ferulic acid is a phenolic acid widely distributed in the plant kingdom. It presents a wide range of potential therapeutic effects useful in the treatments of cancer, diabetes, lung and ...cardiovascular diseases, as well as hepatic, neuro and photoprotective effects and antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. Overall, the pharmaceutical potential of ferulic acid can be attributed to its ability to scavenge free radicals. However, recent studies have revealed that ferulic acid presents pharmacological properties beyond those related to its antioxidant activity, such as the ability to competitively inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and activate glucokinase, contributing to reduce hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia, respectively. The present review addresses ferulic acid dietary sources, the pharmacokinetic profile, antioxidant action mechanisms and therapeutic effects in the treatment and prevention of various diseases, in order to provide a basis for understanding its mechanisms of action as well as its pharmaceutical potential.
O ácido ferúlico é um ácido fenólico amplamente distribuído no reino vegetal. Ele apresenta uma ampla gama de potenciais efeitos terapêuticos utéis no tratamento do câncer, diabetes, doenças pulmonares e cardiovasculares, bem como efeitos hepáticos, neuro e fotoprotetores, atividades antimicrobianas e anti-inflamatórias. O potencial farmacêutico do ácido ferúlico pode ser atribuído à sua capacidade em sequestrar radicais livres. No entanto, estudos recentes revelaram que o ácido ferúlico apresenta propriedades farmacológicas, além da sua atividade antioxidante, como a capacidade de inibir competitivamente a HMG-CoA redutase e ativar a glucoquinase, contribuindo para reduzir a hipercolesterolemia e hiperglicemia, respectivamente. A presente revisão aborda as fontes dietéticas de ácido ferúlico, o perfil farmacocinético, os mecanismos de ação como antioxidante e efeitos terapêuticos no tratamento e prevenção de várias doenças, de modo a proporcionar uma base para a compreensão dos seus mecanismos de ação, bem como os seus potenciais farmacêuticos.
The increasing concern over environmental pollution caused by the pesticide avermectin used in aquaculture has attracted significant attention. The use of avermectin, a neurotoxic pesticide, in ...aquatic environments leads to toxic effects on non-target organisms, particularly causing harm to fish. The phenolic compound ferulic acid possesses excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities. This study was conducted by establishing a chronic exposure experiment to avermectin, proposes the use of ferulic acid as a dietary additive to protect the carp brain from damage caused by exposure to avermectin. Furthermore, it investigates the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of ferulic acid in the carp brain under chronic exposure to avermectin. The experimental results demonstrate that ferulic acid can alleviate brain tissue inflammation and oxidative stress by modulating the Nrf2/Keap1 and NF-κB signaling pathways. It protects the carp brain from chronic avermectin-induced damage, preserves the integrity of the carp blood-brain barrier, enhances the levels of feeding factors, and thereby alleviates carp growth inhibition. These findings provide new therapeutic strategies and a theoretical foundation for the sustainable development of carp aquaculture.
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•Ferulic acid can alleviate carp brain damage induced by avermectin.•Ferulic acid alleviates carp brain inflammation by modulating the NF-κB pathway.•Ferulic acid modulates the Nrf2/Keap-1 signaling pathway to alleviate oxidative stress in carp brains.•Ferulic acid alleviates apoptosis in carp brain tissue induced by avermectin.•Ferulic acid alleviates carp growth inhibition caused by avermectin.
The production of chemicals/products so far relies on fossil-based resources with the creation of several environmental problems at the global level. In this situation, a sustainable and circular ...economy model is necessitated to mitigate global environmental issues. Production of biowaste from various processing industries also creates environmental issues which would be valorized for the production of industrially important reactive and bioactive compounds. Lignin acts as a vital part in biowaste composition which can be converted into a wide range of phenolic compounds. The phenolic compounds have attracted much attention, owing to their influence on diverse not only organoleptic parameters, such as taste or color, but also active agents for active packaging systems. Crop residues of varied groups, which are an affluent source of lignocellulosic biomass could serve as a renewable resource for the biosynthesis of ferulic acid (FA). FA is obtained by the FA esterase enzyme action, and it can be further converted into various tail end phenolic flavor green compounds like vanillin, vanillic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid. Lignin being renewable in nature, processing and management of biowastes towards sustainability is the need as far as the global industrial point is concerned. This review explores all the approaches for conversion of lignin into value-added phenolic compounds that could be included to packaging applications. These valorized products can exhibit the antioxidant, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, and due to these features can emerge to incorporate them into production of functional foods and be utilization of them at active food packaging application. These approaches would be an important step for utilization of the recovered bioactive compounds at the nutraceutical and food industrial sectors.
Difenoconazole (DFZ) is a classical triazole fungicide that causes immunosuppression in non-target organisms. Ferulic acid (FA) is a polyphenolic molecule found in nature that has antioxidant and ...anti-inflammatory activities. The purpose of this investigation was to see if FA could prevent DFZ-induced immunosuppression and to identify the potential mechanisms. Carp were exposed to 1/10 LC50 of DFZ as well as fed normal feed or feed containing dietary additive FA for 30 d. It was found that DFZ-induced immunosuppression could be improved by FA, as evidenced by upregulation of Hb, C3 and IgM and downregulation of LDH. It was then investigated that FA could ameliorate DFZ-induced splenic injury through p53-mediated apoptosis. At the same time, enhancing the levels of CAT, GSH and T-AOC in spleen and transcription levels Nrf2 signaling pathway related genes indicated that FA reduced oxidative damage caused by DFZ by blocking the Nrf2 signaling pathway. In addition, FA inhibited the inflammatory response triggered by TRAF/TAK1/NF-κB signaling pathway, downregulated the transcript levels of pro-inflammatory factors (il-1β, tnf-α, il-6) and the level of NLRP3 inflammasome (NRLP3, ASC, Caspase 1), and upregulated the transcript levels of anti-inflammatory factors (tgf-β1, il-10). In conclusion, the above results suggested that FA mediated TRAF/TAK1/NF-κB, Nrf2, and p53 pathways to attenuate DFZ-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis thereby enhancing the immune capacity of carp.
●FA alleviated DFZ -induced immunosuppression in carp.●FA inhibited DFZ-induced apoptosis in carp spleen via p53.●FA activation of Nrf2 attenuated DFZ-induced oxidative stress in the spleen.●FA ameliorated DFZ-induced inflammation via TRAF/TAK1/NF-κB pathway in the spleen.
Avermectin (AVM) has been utilized extensively in agricultural production since it is a low-toxicity pesticide. However, the pollution caused by its residues to fisheries aquaculture has been ...neglected. As an abundant polyphenolic substance in plants, ferulic acid (FA) possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The goal of the study is to assess the FA's ability to reduce liver damage in carp brought on by AVM exposure. Four groups of carp were created at random: the control group; the AVM group; the FA group; and the FA + AVM group. On day 30, and the liver tissues of carp were collected and examined for the detection of four items of blood lipid as well as the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in carp liver tissues by biochemical kits, and the transcript levels of indicators of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by qPCR. The results showed that liver injury, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were attenuated in the FA + AVM group compared to the AVM group. In summary, dietary addition of FA could ameliorate the hepatotoxicity caused by AVM in carp by alleviating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis in liver tissues.
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•Ferulic acid alleviated avermectin -induced hepatotoxicity in carp.•Ferulic acid alleviated oxidative stress in carp caused by avermectin.•Ferulic acid alleviated inflammation in carp caused by avermectin.•Ferulic acid alleviated apoptosis in carp caused by avermectin.
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•Color enhancement of blackberry wine residue anthocyanins was achieved by phenolics.•Phenolic acids enhanced color but reduced the thermostability of anthocyanin at 90 °C.•Ferulic ...acid or rutin had the best copigmentation due to the preferential structures.•The larger molecule size of phenolics was favorable to stabilizing the flavylium ion.•π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding were crucial to the copigmentation mechanism.
To expound the copigmentation effects of phenolics on blackberry wine residue anthocyanins (BWRA), the color and stability of BWRA with storage, thermal, light and oxidation treatments were evaluated by chromaticity, kinetics and structural simulation analysis. Results indicated that phenolic acids showed preferable copigmetation on BWRA solutions with the enhanced color, thermostability at 50–70 °C and light stability, whereas the degradation was accelerated at 90 °C. Meanwhile, flavonoids promoted the oxidation stability of BWRA. Of all the phenolic acids, ferulic acid presented the best copigmentation effect, and among the flavonoids rutin was the most active. Structural simulation suggested rutin and ferulic acid had the largest volume, potential energy (164.8 and 32.8 kcal/mol), minimized energy (39.2 and 11.3 kal/mol) and van der Waals energy (81.6 and 28.1 kcal/mol), respectively, which were favorable to the stabilization of the flavylium ion. The hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking and solvent effects were together involved in the copigmentation mechanism.
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•The first report to predict the three-dimensional structure of kafirin.•The binding of kafirin and FA/TMP is mainly a static quenching procedure.•The binding with FA and TMP ...decreased the α-helix content of kafirin.•Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions are the main forces forming complexes.•The binding with FA/TMP made the structures of α-, β- and δ-kafirin more compact.
Ferulic acid (FA) and tetramethyl pyrazine (TMP) are intrinsic bioactive compounds in baijiu, and kafirin is the major protein of sorghum, which is the raw material of baijiu. In this study, the interactions of kafirin-FA and kafirin-TMP were investigated by multiple spectroscopic and molecular modeling techniques. Fluorescence spectra showed that intrinsic fluorescence of kafirin drastically quenched because of the formations of kafirin-FA and kafirin-TMP complexes. The CD studies indicated that the combination with FA or TMP decreased the α-helix content of kafirin slightly. The shifts and intensity changes of UV–Vis, FTIR and fluorescence spectra confirmed the formations of complexes. Moreover, the molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies showed that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds played major roles in the formations of kafirin-FA and kafirin-TMP complexes, and the formations of complexes made kafirin structures more compact. This work is of great importance for further quality improvement in baijiu and alcoholic beverages.
LPS could seriously damage the kidney. FA pretreatment could upregulate AMPKα1 expression and phosphorylation, inhibite the release of inflammatory cytokines, maintain the mitochondrial function, ...improve energy supply and redox equilibrium, alleviate apoptosis, and ultimately protect renal tissue against LPS damage.
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•Ferulic acid (FA) pretreatment protected the renal tissue against LPS damage.•FA pretreatment alleviated apoptosis by upregulating AMPKα1 expression and phosphorylation.•Protective mechanism of FA was associated with inhibited the release of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress.
The kidney is susceptible to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage with sepsis, and renal dysfunction is a leading cause of mortality in patients with sepsis. However, the renoprotective effects of ferulic acid (FA) during sepsis and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. This study explored these renoprotective effects using NRK-52E cells and mice with LPS-induced renal damage. The results showed that after LPS challenge, NRK-52E cell viability decreased, whereas lactate dehydrogenase, caspase-3 activity, apoptosis, the release of the inflammatory cytokines, and reactive oxygen species generation increased. Further, the activities of endogenous enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, and energy metabolism were inhibited, mitochondrial membrane potential was lost, mitochondrial permeability transition pores opened, renal blood flow and excretory functions were reduced, and the morphology and ultrastructure of renal tissue were seriously damaged in mice exposed to LPS. FA pretreatment upregulated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1 expression and phosphorylation and significantly reversed the aforementioned functional, enzymological, and morphological indexes in vivo and in vitro. However, these renoprotective effects of FA were attenuated by compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. In conclusion, FA pretreatment can upregulate AMPKα1 expression and phosphorylation, inhibit inflammatory cytokine release and oxidative stress, improve mitochondrial function and energy supply, alleviate apoptosis, and ultimately protect renal tissue against LPS damage.
The aim of this study was to comprehensively investigate the impact of ferulic acid (FA) or FA-dihydromyricetin (DMY) complex on the growth and physiological responses of Litopenaeus vannamei and ...their underlying mechanisms, as well as to examine whether the combined use of FA and DMY exhibits synergistic effects. A total of 1050 healthy shrimp were randomly allocated into 15 tanks, three tanks per group. The shrimp were provided with five different diets for 8 weeks. After different feeding experiments, a challenge test lasting for seven days was conducted using Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP). The results of growth parameters showed that there were significant differences between all treatment groups and the control group in weight gain rate (WG), specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Additionally, the hepatopancreas index (HSI) and condition factor (CF) were significantly increased in FD2 group. The activities of protease, lipase and amylase in hepatopancreas were significantly elevated in the FD1 group compared to the control group. Decreases in body crude fat content and plasma lipid parameters suggested that both FA and FA-DMY complex can reduce lipid deposition. Furthermore, dietary FA or FA-DMY complex could enhance lipid metabolism by regulating the expression of genes involved in fatty acid and triglyceride metabolism in hepatopancreas. Results of antioxidant capacity and immune responses indicated that the addition of FA or FA-DMY complex in the diet enhanced physiological responses in shrimp, as evidenced by increased antioxidant enzyme activities, elevated immune parameters, and upregulated the expression of immune-related genes in hemocytes and intestine. Additionally, dietary FA could improve intestinal health by modulating the composition and richness of intestinal microbiota. The results of the safety assessment showed that both FA and low-level FA-DMY complex had positive effects on the health status of hepatopancreas, but the dietary combination of FA and DMY (100 mg/kg + 200 mg/kg) could induce hepatopancreatic damage. In summary, dietary FA or FA-DMY complex has the potential to enhance the growth and physiological responses of L. vannamei. Moreover, the dietary combination of FA and DMY at appropriate levels had synergistic effects.
•Dietary ferulic acid (FA) or FA-dihydromyricetin (DMY) improved growth performance and digestive enzyme activities in crustaceans.•Dietary FA-DMY complex promoted the efficient accumulation of nutrients in crustaceans by regulating lipid metabolism.•Dietary FA or FA-DMY complex enhanced the antioxidant capacity and immune defense of crustaceans.•First study demonstrated the synergistic effects of FA and DMY on antioxidant capacity and immune defense in crustaceans.
•CA combined with FA exhibited stronger antityrosinase activity than alone.•CA-FA-tyrosinase complex confirmed by fluorescence quenching.•Tyrosinase inactivation described by the first-order kinetics ...and Weibull models.•Ser282, His263, and Val283 amino acids were crucial during binding.
The development of tyrosinase inhibitors to prevent the enzymatic browning have become a research hotspot in food industry. 4-Hydroxycinnamic acid (CA) and ferulic acid (FA) are both the derivates of cinnamic acids, which are widely coexisted in plants seeds and leaves. CA combined with FA (inhibition rate of 90.44%) were found to effectively inhibit tyrosinase activity than employing CA and FA alone (inhibition rate of 12.15% and 22.17%, respectively). CA-FA-tyrosinase complex resulted in fluorescence quenching. The first-order kinetics and Weibull models well described the inactivation of tyrosinase at 2–4 mM and 6–10 mM of CA and FA, respectively. Additionally, UV–vis spectrum indicated that several characteristic groups such as hydroxyl group in CA competed with the nucleophilic attack of intramolecular cyclization, leading to the decrease of characteristic peak. Molecular docking further studied that CA and FA interacted with the activity cavity of tyrosinase by amino acids residues Ser282, His263, and Val283.
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