11/2/2025


FERULIC ACID  

ferulic





1  Properties

Chemical formula      C10H10O4   
Molar mass              194.186 g·mol−1  
Appearance              Crystalline powder  
Melting point           168 to 172 °C     
Solubility in water    0.78 g/L  
Acidity (pKa)          4.61

2 Ferulic acid synthesis


*  Biochemical synthesis from renewable sources :  maize peels , rice bran ,wheat...

* Chemical synthesis


2-1 Biochemical synthesis



(from CN108602749B   Current Assignee  J CheilJedang Corp  2015)

Ferulic acid is a natural antioxidant and ultraviolet absorbing material and skin whitening material . Ferulic acid has also been highlighted as a material for the treatment of alzheimer's disease due to its clinical reports of its functional role in inhibiting β -amyloid accumulation (Nutrients, 2015,7 (7): 5764-5782). Furthermore, ferulic acid is considered to have a very high functional and growth potential due to its high demand as raw material for vanilla flavor (vanillin) (Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2013,169 (4): 1353-.

Commercial ferulic acid has been generally prepared as a product by performing a series of separation and purification in the presence of a solvent using a by-product refined in the process of preparing rice bran oil as a raw material, thereby obtaining ferulic acid with high purity (98% or more).

This technology was first patented by Tsuno Ltd (japanese rice processing corporation) in 1992 (korean patent No. 10-0095539), and ferulic acid is now produced by this technology and is commercially available.

The technology adopts a reasonable engineering method to utilize the rice bran oil byproduct, but the industrial production of the ferulic acid still has certain limitation. That is, the production and sale of rice bran oil have no free market structure, and the raw materials are only readily available to the rice bran oil producer.

Therefore, this technology has a significant disadvantage in the development of ferulic acid-based markets through commercial expansion.
Corn bran, which is obtained as a by-product in the production process of corn starch, contains a large amount of indigestible polysaccharides and ash, and thus is not used in high value-added industries, but is mainly used by being added to feeds. Meanwhile, ferulic acid is present in grains as a polyphenol component in lignin, and the content of corn bran in the grains is in the range of 2.6% to 3.3%, which is greater than the content of 0.9% in rice bran.


As described above, ferulic acid is not present in a free form which is easy to extract in grains, but is present in a form strongly bound to arabinoxylan which is a cell wall component through an ester bond. For this reason, the isolation of ferulic acid from cereals requires a very complicated process, and the economical production of ferulic acid is difficult due to the low yield. In addition, the extraction purity of ferulic acid is low because it is contained in a trace amount in the dry weight of corn bran, and it is very difficult to isolate and purify ferulic acid of high purity (98% or more).



2-1-1 Example of a process starting from corn bran  


As used herein, the term "corn bran" refers to the outer portion of corn. Corn bran is available as a by-product in the production of corn starch, and their advantages are that it is an inexpensive raw material for ferulic acid and is readily available.



CN108602749B  Current Assignee  J Cheil  Jedang Corp (China)  2015

1. A method of preparing ferulic acid comprising:
(a) reacting corn bran with an alkaline solution to obtain a crude extract containing ferulic acid;
(b) removing starch from the crude extract obtained in step (a); wherein the starch removal is performed by an enzymatic reaction, wherein the crude extract is reacted with an alpha-amylase, a glucoamylase, or both an alpha-amylase and a glucoamylase; and
(c) washing the extracted residue of corn bran.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alkali solution is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the concentration of the alkali solution is 0.5% (w/w) to 1.5% (w/w).
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction is carried out for 1 to 24 hours.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid to liquid ratio between the corn bran and the alkali solution is in the range of 1: 3 to 1:15, or more.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction is carried out at 60 ℃ to 100 ℃.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises filtering the crude extract obtained therein to remove solids.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of glucoamylase and alpha-amylase is 0.1% (w/w) to 1.0% (w/w).
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the residue is washed with 1-10 volumes of water compared to the corn bran.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising (d) isolating and purifying ferulic acid.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the separating and purifying comprises a primary purification process using activated carbon and a secondary purification process using an adsorbent resin.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the activated carbon is granular activated carbon or powdered activated carbon.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the content of activated carbon is 0.1% (w/v) to 2% (w/v) with respect to the concentration of the extract.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the primary purification process comprises (i) activated carbon adsorption, (ii) hot water washing of the activated carbon, and (iii) desorption of ferulic acid from the activated carbon.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the desorption is performed using a basic solvent.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the alkaline solvent is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the concentration of the alkaline solvent i
s 0.01% (w/w) to 0.5% (w/w).
18. The method of claim 14, wherein the primary purification process further comprises adjusting the pH of the treatment solution separated by ferulic acid desorption to 3 to 4 to remove impurities.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the adsorbent resin is selected from the group consisting of PAD900, Mn100, HP20, and PAD 600.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the secondary purification process comprises adsorbing the treatment solution obtained in the primary purification process onto an adsorbent resin and desorbing the treatment solution therefrom.
21. The method of claim 11, wherein the desorption is performed with 15% (w/w) to 35% (w/w) ethanol solvent.
22. The method of claim 10, further comprising crystallizing the isolated and purified ferulic acid.

more details
ferulic


2-1-2 Example of a process starting from rice  bran  

CN101863758A * 2010-03-23   Technology for preparing ferulic acid and phytic acid from rice bran    Current Assignee   Nanjing Zelang Agricultural Development Co Ltd 


Procedure

Rice bran was pulverized 60 mesh sieves, get 400kg rice bran input extractor, adding 3000LpH is 11 calcium hydroxide aqueous solution and 300g vitamins C, and the heating dynamic soaking extracted 1 hour, extracted twice, merged filtrate twice, got 5500L filtered liquid and filter residue.
Filtered liquid is passed through 724 type Zeo-karbs, collecting down, fluid injection concentrates, with volume ratio is 5: 4: 8: normal hexane-ethyl acetate, alcohol and water of 1 is miscible in separating funnel, shake up the back standing demix, getting on it is stationary phase mutually, following phase place moving phase, upper and lower phase mixed solution 40ml dissolving concentrated solution 200mg with 1: 1 separates, collect the forulic acid component peaks, lyophilize obtains the forulic acid solids content more than 98%.


Filter residue adds the aqueous solution of the pH3 that 2200L mixes up with hydrochloric acid, soaked 4 hours, per 30 minutes ultrasonic 6 minutes, filter, in filtrate, add 154kg sodium-chlor again, stir while adding, stirred 30 minutes, filter, filtrate adds the D202 macroporous anion exchange resin exchange of handling well earlier, make down fluid injection pH reach 7, following fluid injection adds the D011 Zeo-karb again, makes down fluid injection pH reach 2, following fluid injection adds the S-8 macroporous adsorbent resin again, with 95% ethanol elution of 8 times of column volumes, collect elutriant, elutriant is decoloured by the D3520 macroporous resin, destainer concentrates through reduced vacuum, reclaim ethanol, the concentrated solution cryodrying promptly gets the phytic acid product, phytic acid content 88.1%.



ferulic


  

2-1-3 Extraction of natural ferulate and coumarate from biomass

Extraction via esterification

Much of the supply of natural ferulic acid is extracted during the processing of rice bran oil [see, for example, H. Taniguchi, et al. (Wakayama, JP) US 5288902 (1994); Z. Sun, et al. (Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd) US 7462470 (2006); CN 103553903A; CN 103553902A; CN 103254993B,].

Ferulic acid is also contained in agricultural biomass such as miscanthus, corn byproducts (fiber, bran, stover, fines, gluten feed, etc.), rice, wheat, beets, beet fiber, beet pulp, and other crops.
Typical methods for extracting ferulic acid include alkali extraction [R. Antrim, et al. (Standard Brands Incorporated), U.S. Patent No. 4,038,481 (1977); A. Muir, Westcott, N. (CA Minister Agriculture & Food) EP 0817824B 1 (2001); CN 103254064B (2015); CN 103319328B (2015)] and enzymatic processes [D. Wong, et al. (US Department of Agriculture), U.S. Patent No. 8,361,764 Bl (2013); C. Buchanan, et al. (Eastman Chemical Co), U.S. Patent No. 6,352,845 Bl (2002)]. Alternatively, ferulic acid is extracted as several ferulic acid phytosterol esters such or γ-oryzanol [C. Abbas, et al. (Archer Daniels Midland Co) US 20030235633 Al (2003); C. Abbas, et al. (Archer Daniels Midland Co) U.S. Patent No. 7,833,994B2 (2010); R. Moreau, et al. (US Department of Agriculture) U.S. Patent No. 5,843,499A (1998); P. Das, et al. (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) U.S. Patent No. 5,869,708A (1999)].

Excess alcohol extraction has been used to remove lignin from biomass [V. Diebold, et al. (Alcell Technologies Inc.) U.S. Patent No. 4, 100,016A (1978)], and similar extractions have been used to extract ferulic acid esters. For example, in the presence of methanol, the extract contains methyl ferulate (methyl 3-(4-hydroxy-3- methoxyphenyl)acrylate), while in the presence of ethanol the extract contains ethyl ferulate (ethyl 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate). Naturally derived ferulate can be transformed into natural ferulic acid via alkaline hydrolysis.


WO2018195422A1 * 2017-04-20 2018-10-25 Spero Energy, Inc. Extraction of natural ferulate and coumarate from biomass
Abstract
A process for a reactive separation of organic molecules from biomass includes a reaction step for the biomass, a simultaneous extraction step using a solvent, and a filtration step to recover products, wherein the products comprise ferulic acid and/or coumaric acid. The products are extracted from the biomass in a pressurized stirred batch reactor using a liquid extraction solvent and a base in which the ferulate and the coumarate remain.

This application describes a process for extracting ferulate (ferulic acid esters of the variety methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, or any variation thereof) and coumarate from agricultural biomass such as miscanthus and corn byproducts.

The extraction can be carried out in either batch or continuous operation. Under conditions compatible with cooking procedures, the extracted ferulic acid can be marketed as natural in the European Union and the United States.

For example, the extracted products can be marked as natural following European 1334/2008 and/or US Food and Drug administration (FDA) 21CFR101.22 regulations regarding natural labeling. Ferulate can be hydrolyzed to ferulic acid.

 detailed procedures using various feedstock

ferulic


Some other Patents about  extraction from various carbohydrate source

CN101768073A * 2010-02-01 2010-07-07 Method for preparing ferulic acid from Chinese angelica
CN101823955A * 2009-10-29 2010-09-08 Method for extracting ferulic acid from maize peels
CN101845464A * 2009-12-30 2010-09-29 Method for preparing ferulic acid by utilizing corn bran hydrolyzed by multifunctional enzyme
CN102633628A * 2012-03-28 2012-08-15  Method for extracting ferulic acid from wheat by-products
CN103045658A * 2012-12-24 2013-04-17 Method of taking bran as raw materials to prepare high-purity low-poly araboxylan and ferulic acid
CN103254064A * 2013-05-22 2013-08-21 Preparation method of ferulic acid
CN103664580A * 2013-12-23 2014-03-26 Preparation method of ferulic acid from corn bran
WO2014187784A1 * 2013-05-21 2014-11-27 Rhodia Operations Optimized process for extraction of ferulic acid with pretreatment
 CN111848342A * 2020-08-17 2020-10-30  Method for separating and extracting natural ferulic acid from oryzanol-containing rice bran oil soapstock
CN114573447A * 2022-03-21 2022-06-03 Method for removing 4-vinyl guaiacol from ferulic acid 
US20230027119A1 * 2019-12-31 2023-01-26 Inventure Renewables, Inc. Methods for the production of ferulic acid
LV15756A * 2021-12-30 2023-07-20 Dārzkopības Institūts, App Method for the release of ferulic acid from cereal by-products
CN113563157A * 2021-08-31 2021-10-29 湖北省现代农业有限公司 Method for extracting ferulic acid from finished oil


Other patented procedures to obtain ferulic acid using different technics from various biomass   (more than 150 patents)



2-2 Chemical synthesis of ferulic acid

Most of synthesis start from "chemical" vanillin , ferulic acid being used to make other various chemicals as it can be seen later


ferulic

The invention discloses a process for preparing ferulic acid by using vanillin and ethyl malonate compounds as synthetic raw material through the steps of condensation, saponification and decarboxylation, wherein the reaction between ferulic acid with suitable alkali metal salt can be carried out to obtain corresponding ferulate, e.g. sodium ferulate.

    CN1544409A    (2003)    Assignee   Limin Pharmaceutical Factory of Livzon Pharmaceutical Group






ferulic


The vanillin is used as a raw material, : the vanillin reacts with acetic anhydride (Perkin reaction)  at high temperature in the presence of potassium carbonate to generate acetylferulic acid, and the acetylferulic acid is hydrolyzed under alkaline conditions to obtain the ferulic acid.
The synthetic route still uses vanillin as a starting material, is not complex, but has some disadvantages: (1) The reaction temperature is high, and the long-time high-temperature reaction easily causes cis-conformation isomerization of the ferulic acid. (2) The reaction yield is low, the yield of the ferulic acid synthesis step is about 60%,

CN105566101a   (2015)   Current Assignee   Shaanxi High Tech Energy Development Co Ltd  



ferulic acid

CN113061084B * 2020-12-31        Current Assignee    Nanjing Gritpharma Co ltd ,    Chengdu Hengda Pharmaceutical Co ltd

Example 1
10g of vanillin, 9.5g of Mi's acid, 30mL of water and 0.5g of glacial acetic acid are added into a 100mL three-necked flask as a catalyst for reaction at 75 ℃, 6hTLC (ethyl acetate: petroleum ether: 1:1) is monitored to monitor that the reaction is complete, the temperature is reduced to room temperature, and a ferulic acid crude product is obtained by filtration.
Adding 50% ethanol water solution into the ferulic acid crude product for recrystallization, crystallizing and filtering, leaching a filter cake with water, and drying by blowing at 60 ℃ to obtain 10.7g of ferulic acid with a yield of 84%.

(Mild acid is a common chemical raw material and a common medical intermediate, the raw material is easy to obtain and store, and the normal state is solid, so that the use in the process operation is very convenient.)


3 Ferulic acid use


Ferulic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in the cell walls of plants, particularly in grains like rice, wheat, and oats, as well as in fruits, vegetables, and coffee. It has gained attention for its potential health benefits and is widely used in various industries. Here are some of the key uses of ferulic acid:

1. Antioxidant Properties
    Ferulic acid is a potent antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals, reducing oxidative stress and preventing cellular damage. This property makes it beneficial in combating aging and chronic diseases.

2. Skincare
    In cosmetics and skincare products, ferulic acid is often combined with vitamins C and E to enhance its antioxidant effects. It helps protect the skin from UV radiation, reduces signs of aging (like wrinkles and fine lines), and improves skin texture and tone.

3. Anti-Inflammatory Effects
    Ferulic acid has anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful in managing inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and certain skin disorders.

4. Neuroprotective Effects
    Research suggests that ferulic acid may protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain.

5. Cardiovascular Health
    It may help improve heart health by reducing cholesterol levels, preventing the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol), and improving blood vessel function.

6. Anticancer Potential
    Ferulic acid has been studied for its potential to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in certain types of cancer, such as breast, liver, and colon cancer.
7. Antimicrobial Activity
    It exhibits antimicrobial properties, making it effective against certain bacteria and fungi. This has potential applications in food preservation and treating infections.

8. Diabetes Management
    Ferulic acid may help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, making it beneficial for individuals with diabetes or at risk of developing the condition.

9. Food Preservation
    Due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, ferulic acid is used as a natural preservative in the food industry to extend the shelf life of products.

10. Agriculture
    In agriculture, ferulic acid is used to enhance plant growth and protect crops from oxidative stress and pathogens.

11. Supplements
    Ferulic acid is available as a dietary supplement, often marketed for its antioxidant and anti-aging benefits.

12. Photoprotection
    It is used in sunscreens and other photoprotective products to shield the skin from harmful UV rays and prevent sun damage.

13. Wound Healing
    Ferulic acid has been shown to promote wound healing by reducing inflammation and stimulating tissue repair.

14. Liver Protection
    Studies suggest that ferulic acid may protect the liver from damage caused by toxins, alcohol, or oxidative stress.

15. Bone Health
    It may support bone health by reducing bone loss and improving bone density, potentially benefiting individuals with osteoporosis.




Below some more specific examples of  ferulic  use  in  different fields


Pharmaceuticals :Piperazine ferulate( CN113061084B)

The piperazine ferulate can be prepared by taking  ferulate and piperazine hexahydrate as raw materials for reaction. Piperazine ferulate is the main active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine ligusticum wallichii, has the functions of anticoagulation, platelet aggregation prevention, microcirculation improvement, vasospasm relief and coronary artery flow increase, and is clinically suitable for the auxiliary treatment of glomerulonephropathy accompanied with microscopic haematuria and hypercoagulable state, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, vasculitis and the like.


 Natural vanillin from ferulic acid

DE19532317A1 1995-09-01  Haarmann & Reimer Gmbh Process for the production of vanillin and suitable microorganisms from ferulic acid

 Claims (4)  translated from German
1. Amycolatopsis sp. from the genus Pseudonocardia with the in the German Collection for Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH in Braunschweig under the numbers DSM 9991 and DSM 9992 Tribes. 2. Process for the preparation of vanillin from ferulic acid in the presence of Amycolatopsis sp. DSM 9991 or DSM 9992 or its enzymes or of microorganisms with genetic material from Amycolatopsis sp. DSM 9991 or DSM 9992, which are the structural and regulatory genes for the Encodes enzymes that are effective in this reaction. 3. The method according to claim 2, according to which natural as the starting component uses ferulic acid. 4. Use of the produced by the method according to claims 2 and 3 Vanillins for the production of flavors.



Example 3
Production of vanillin in a 10 l fermenter
5 l culture medium (4 g / l glucose, 10 g / l malt extract and 6 g / l yeast extract) were sterilized in a fermenter and after cooling with 100 ml of a Pre-culture of DSM 9992 inoculated according to Example 1.
The culture conditions were: 37 ° C, 500 rpm, 5 l air / min. 12.5 hours after 1.634 kg of an approximately 3.7% ferulic acid solution (60.2 g Ferulic acid) added. After 17.5 hours over a period of 10 Hours another 4.377 kg of an approximately 3.7% ferulic acid solution (164.72 g Ferula acid) pumped in.
The fermentation was stopped after 32 hours. The concentration on Vanillin was 11.5 g / l and 1 g / l of unreacted ferulic acid was still present. The final volume was 11.29 l. This is an implementation of 77.8% of theory based on converted ferulic acid.

more info here

More patented uses for ferulic acid    (more than 600 patents )