Coumaric acid

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p-Coumaric acid
Coumaric acid
Chemical name 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-
2-propenoic acid
Other names para-coumaric acid
4-hydroxycinnamic acid
β-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid
Chemical formula C9H8O3
Molecular mass 164.15 g/mol
CAS number [7400-08-0]
Melting point 210-213 °C
SMILES OC(/C=C/C1=CC=C(O)C=C1)=O
Disclaimer and references

Coumaric acids are organic compounds that are hydroxy derivatives of cinnamic acid. There are three isomers, o-coumaric acid, m-coumaric acid, and p-coumaric acid, that differ by the position of the hydroxy substitution. p-Coumaric acid is the most abundant isomer in nature.

p-Coumaric acid can be found in a wide variety of edible plants such as peanuts, tomatoes, carrots, and garlic. It is a crystalline solid that is slightly soluble in water, but well soluble in ethanol and diethyl ether.

p-Coumaric acid is an antioxidant and is believed to reduce the risk of stomach cancer[1] by reducing the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.[2]

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Antioxidant and antigenotoxic effects of plant cell wall hydroxycinnamic acids in cultured HT-29 cells. Ferguson Lynnette R; Zhu Shuo-tun; Harris Philip J. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (2005), 49(6), 585-93.
  2. ^ "Reaction of p-hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives with nitrite and its relevance to nitrosamine formation. Kikugawa, Kiyomi; Hakamada, Tomoko; Hasunuma, Makiko; Kurechi, Tsutao. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (1983), 31(4), 780-5.