Dihydrocaffeic Acid—Is It the Less Known but Equally Valuable Phenolic Acid?

Abstract

Dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) is a phenolic acid bearing a catechol ring and three-carbon side chain. Despite its being found in minor amounts in numerous plants and fungi of different origins, it has attracted the interest of various research groups in many fields of science, from food to biomedical applications. The review article presented herein aims to show a wider audience the health benefits and therapeutic, industrial, and nutritional potential of dihydrocaffeic acid, by sheddinglight on its occurrence, biosynthesis, bioavailability, and metabolism. The scientific literature describes at least 70 different derivatives of dihydrocaffeic acid, both those occurring naturally and those obtained via chemical and enzymatic methods. Among the most frequently used enzymes that were applied for the modification of the parent DHCA structure, there are lipases that allow for obtaining esters and phenolidips, tyrosinases used for the formation of the catechol ring, and laccases to functionalize this phenolic acid. In many studies, both in vitro and in vivo, the protective effect of DHCA and its derivatives on cells subjected to oxidative stress and inflammation were acknowledged.

Bamboo shoots improve the nutritional and sensory quality, and change flavor composition of chicken soup

“…There were 7 unique differential components between PA and CK, mainly 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropanoate, (S)-2-phenyloxirane, 2-pyrocatechuic acid, etc. 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropanoate and 2-pyrocatechuic acid belong to phenolic acids, which are present in plants and have antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activities ( Lodovici et al, 2001 , Zieniuk, 2023 ). DB contains 13 unique differential components, including 2-ketobutyric acid, methyl beta- d -galactoside, 4-guanidinobutanal, etc.…”

Gut Microbiota and Inflammation Modulation in a Rat Model for Ulcerative Colitis after the Intraperitoneal Administration of Apigenin, Luteolin, and Xanthohumol

“…In the case of xanthohumol, the resulting gut metabolite is the potent phytoestrogen 8-prenylnaringenin [ 26 ]. These gut microbiota metabolites have been described as antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial bioactives [ 31 ], as well as anti-inflammatory, and are able to inhibit the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) [ 32 ]. In our particular assay, xanthohumol, which has been described as being degraded by some microorganisms present in the human gut microbiota [ 24 , 26 ], caused a reduction in IL-6 circulating levels but had no significant effect on the IL-1β plasma levels in the analyzed rats, while apigenin and luteolin, which are metabolized in a different way, seemed to have similar effects over both cytokines in our animal model for UC ( Figure 3 a,b).…”