Ferulic acid (FA) is a naturally occurring phenolic compound commonly found in the plant Ferula communis. This study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of FA and its derivatives (methyl ferulic acid and trans-ferulic acid) against oxidative stress and inflammation-related hepatotoxicity due to toxicants based on the results of different non-clinical and preclinical tests. For this, data was collected from different reliable electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, etc. The results of this investigation demonstrated that FA and its derivatives have potent hepatoprotective effects against oxidative stress and inflammation-related damage. The findings also revealed that these protective effects are due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the chemical compound. FA and its analogues significantly inhibit free radical generation and hinder the effects of proinflammatory markers and inflammatory enzymes, resulting in diminished cytotoxic and apoptotic hepatocyte death. The compounds also prevent intracellular lipid accumulation and provide protective effects.

Parkinson\'s disease is predominantly caused by dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein. Though the general consensus is that several factors, such as aging, environmental factors, mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulations of neurotoxic alpha-synuclein, malfunctions of the lysosomal and proteasomal protein degradation systems, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, are involved in the neurodegeneration process of Parkinson\'s disease, the precise mechanism by which all of these factors are triggered remains unknown. Typically, neurotoxic compounds such as rotenone, 6-hydroxydopamine, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), 1-methyl 4-phenyl pyridinium (mpp+), paraquat, and maneb are used to Preclinical models of Parkinson\'s disease Ferulic acid is often referred to by its scientific name, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (C10H10O4), and is found naturally in cereals, fruits, vegetables, and bee products. This substance exhibits neuroprotective effects against Parkinson\'s disease because of its intriguing potential, which includes anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. This review goes into additional detail about Parkinson\'s disease and the neuroprotective properties of ferulic acid that may help prevent the condition.

METHODS: Plant (poly) phenolic compounds have been reported to decrease the risk of developing dementia and have been associated with maintenance of cognitive performance in normal ageing. Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic acid, present in a wide variety of foods including cereals, fruits, vegetables, and coffee. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the effect of FA on cognitive function in humans and animals.
RESULTS: The search terms \"Ferulic acid AND cognit*\" and \"Ferulic acid OR feruloyl OR ferula AND (memory OR attention OR learning OR recognition)\" are used in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMED, OVID (Medline/PsycInfo), and CINAHL through October 2023. No human studies are identified that matched the inclusion criteria. Twenty-six animal studies are identified. A small number (n = 5) of these studies examined FA in healthy animals whilst the remainder examined animal models of dementia. Alzheimer\'s disease (n = 11) is the most prevalent model.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, results from studies employing disease models suggest that FA ameliorates induced cognitive decline in a time and dose-dependent manner. Similarly, studies in healthy animals show a beneficial effect of FA. However, further studies are required to determine the effects of FA on human cognitive function.

Background: Intravenous thrombolysis is commonly used in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke damage. The existing thrombolytic drugs still suffer significant shortcomings, including a limited fibrin specificity and bleeding complications. Ferulic acid can directly bind the key thrombus enzymes and target to blood clots, suggesting its thrombolytic potency that may be beneficial with thrombolytic potency for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke damage. Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of ferulic acid in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke injury in rats and its potential mechanism of action. Materials and methods: We conducted a literature search in six databases, including CNKI, up to July 2023. Results: Sixteen trials were included in the meta-analysis, which demonstrated that ferulic acid significantly reduced infarct size, neurological deficit score, apoptosis index, cleaved caspase-3, and cytochrome C levels (all p < 0.05). In addition, ferulic acid significantly increased the levels of phosphorylated Akt, mitochondrial Bcl-xL/Bax, phosphorylated astrocyte PEA15, hippocampal calcium binding protein, and mitochondrial Bcl-2/Bax ratio (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that ferulic acid protects against acute ischemic stroke injury in rats by inhibiting ischemia-induced excitotoxicity, inflammatory response, and apoptosis.

Lignins are the most abundant biopolymers that consist of aromatic units. Lignins are obtained by fractionation of lignocellulose in the form of \"technical lignins\". The depolymerization (conversion) of lignin and the treatment of depolymerized lignin are challenging processes due to the complexity and resistance of lignins. Progress toward mild work-up of lignins has been discussed in numerous reviews. The next step in the valorization of lignin is the conversion of lignin-based monomers, which are limited in number, into a wider range of bulk and fine chemicals. These reactions may need chemicals, catalysts, solvents, or energy from fossil resources. This is counterintuitive to green, sustainable chemistry. Therefore, in this review, we focus on biocatalyzed reactions of lignin monomers, e.g., vanillin, vanillic acid, syringaldehyde, guaiacols, (iso)eugenol, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, and alkylphenols. For each monomer, its production from lignin or lignocellulose is summarized, and, mainly, its biotransformations that provide useful chemicals are discussed. The technological maturity of these processes is characterized based on, e.g., scale, volumetric productivities, or isolated yields. The biocatalyzed reactions are compared with their chemically catalyzed counterparts if the latter are available.

Ferulic acid (FA), a prevalent dietary phytochemical, has many pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation effects, and has been widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries. Many studies have shown that FA can significantly downregulate the expression of reactive oxygen species and activate nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2/heme oxygenase-1 signaling, exerting anti-oxidative effects. The anti-inflammatory effect of FA is mainly related to the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathways. FA has demonstrated potential clinical applications in the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The transforming growth factor-β1/small mothers against decapentaplegic 3 signaling pathway can be blocked by FA, thereby alleviating pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, in the context of asthma, the T helper cell 1/2 imbalance is restored by FA. Furthermore, FA ameliorates acute lung injury by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways via toll-like receptor 4, consequently decreasing the expression of downstream inflammatory mediators. Additionally, there is a moderate neuraminidase inhibitory activity showing a tendency to reduce the interleukin-8 level in response to influenza virus infections. Although the application of FA has broad prospects, more preclinical mechanism-based research should be carried out to test these applications in clinical settings. This review not only covers the literature on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of FA, but also discusses the therapeutic role and toxicology of FA in several pulmonary diseases.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer\'s disease (AD) is one of the most common diseases in the elderly, with a high incidence of dementia. The pathogenesis of AD is complex, and there is no unified conclusion and effective treatment in the clinic. In recent years, with the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), researchers put forward the idea of prevention and treatment of AD based on TCM according to the characteristics of multi- target of TCM. Ferulic acid (FA), also known as 3-methoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, is an active ingredient in TCM that inhibits β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. FA derivatives have been reported to have low toxicity, high biological activity, and high blood-brain barrier permeability. However, the multitarget of FA in the treatment of AD has not been systematically elucidated.
OBJECTIVE: In this systematic review, we aimed to comprehensively assess the neuroprotective effects of FA and its derivatives on in vitro and in vivo AD models.
METHODS: We searched PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Baidu Academic, and Wanfang databases for relevant pre-clinical studies until November 2021.
RESULTS: We identified studies that evaluated the efficacy of FA and its derivatives using relevant keywords. 864 studies were included, of which 129 were found in PubMed, 111 in CNKI, 454 in Baidu Academic, and 170 in Wanfang. Due to duplication between databases, and after applying the exclusion and inclusion criteria, 43 articles were selected. Thereafter, the abstracts of the 43 articles were reviewed. Finally, 21 articles were included in this review, including 11 in vivo, 5 in vitro, and 5 in vivo and in vitro studies.
CONCLUSIONS: Previous studies have shown that FA or its derivatives have multiple therapeutic effects on AD models and can improve the symptoms of AD and resistance of AD cell models. FA and its derivatives have anti-Aβ aggregation, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and other effects and are potential drugs for the multi-targeted treatment of AD. The result of our study showed that FA and its derivatives have significant therapeutic effects on animal and cell models of AD, suggesting that they may be potential therapeutic drugs for patients with AD.

Orchidaceae is one of the largest families of flowering plants with more than 27,000 accepted species, and more than 31,000-35,000 species are estimated to exist in total. The orchid Spiranthes sinensis (Pers.) Ames, having ornamental and medicinal value, is widely distributed throughout Asia and Oceania. S. sinensis (Shou Tsao) is also known as Panlongshen among the common folk herbs. It has a fleshy root similar to ginseng, and the entire plant is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Owing to overexploitation and habitat destruction in recent years, the wild population has become scarce. The traits of this species show obvious differences in different countries. In the Taiwanese climate, it flowers during the Ching Ming Festival, also called the ching ming tsao. Previous investigations into S. sinensis have revealed the presence of flavonoids, homocyclotirucallane, dihydrophenanthrenes, ferulic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. Phenolic constituents of structural and biological interest, including phenanthrenes and flavonoids, have been isolated and identified from S. sinensis. This natural product possesses extensive bioactivity, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. In this review, we outline the herbal medicine formulations and plant-derived natural products of S. sinensis.

Ferulic acid (FA) is one of the most abundant hydroxycinnamic acids in the plant world, especially in the cell wall of grain bran, in comparison with forage and crop residues. Previous studies noted that FA was mainly linked with arabinoxylans and lignin in plant cell walls in ester and ether covalent forms. After forages were ingested by ruminant animals or encountered rumen microbial fermentation in vitro, these cross-linkages form physical and chemical barriers to protect cell-wall carbohydrates from microbial attack and enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, increasing studies noted that FA presented some toxic effect on microbial growth in the rumen. In recent decades, many studies have addressed the relationships of ester and/or ether-linked FA with rumen nutrient digestibility, and there is still some controversy whether these linkages could be used as a predicator of forage digestibility in ruminants. The authors in this review summarized the possible relationships between ester and/or ether-linked FA and fiber digestion in ruminants. Rumen microbes, especially bacteria and fungi, were found capable of breaking down the ester linkages within plant cell walls by secreting feruloyl and p-coumaroyl esterase, resulting in the release of free FA and improvement of cell wall digestibility. The increasing evidence noted that these esterases secreted by rumen microbes presented synergistic effects with xylanase and cellulase to effectively hydrolyze forage cell walls. Some released FA were absorbed through the rumen wall directly and entered into blood circulation and presented antioxidant effects on host animals. The others were partially catabolized into volatile fatty acids by rumen microbes, and the possible catabolic pathways discussed. To better understand plant cell wall degradation in the rumen, the metabolic fate of FA along with lignin decomposition mechanisms are needed to be explored via future microbial isolation and incubation studies with aims to maximize dietary fiber intake and enhance fiber digestion in ruminant animals.

Arabinoxylan (AX) is an abundant hemicellulose in wheat bran and an important functional component in bakery products. This review compares preprocessing and extraction methods, and evaluates their effect on AX properties and functionality as a bread ingredient. The extraction process results in AX isolates or concentrates with varying molecular characteristics, indicating that the process can be adjusted to produce AX with targeted functionality. AX functionality in bread seems to depend on AX properties but also on AX addition level and interactions with other components. This review suggests that the use of AX with tailored properties together with properly optimized baking process could help increasing the amount of added fiber in bread while maintaining or even improving bread quality.