Phenolic acids and derivatives: description, sources, properties, and applications

Abstract

Phenolic acids are one of the major classes of phenolic compounds occurring as secondary metabolites in plants; among them, hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids are outstanding. These compounds are widespread in the human diet through plant-based foods, where they contribute to sensory and functional properties. Their consumption has also been associated with positive effects in human health, owing to their recognized biological activities (e.g., antioxidant, anti inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, or anticarcinogenic). Technological and functional properties of phenolic acids have made them interesting compounds for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic companies, so that suitable preparation processes are required to meet their increasing research and industrial demand. To fulfill these needs, an efficient production of pure compounds is required that cannot be fully satisfied by their isolation from natural sources or chemical synthesis, which suffer limitations such as low yield, time-consuming, or non-environmentally friendly processes. Biotechnological approaches including the construction of heterologous plant or microbial systems can be an alternative for enhancing phenolic acid production or addressing pathways toward the biosynthesis of particular target compounds. This chapter offers an overview on phenolic acids occurrence in food and natural sources, biosynthesis and advances in their biotechnological production