Antioxidant and prooxidant nature of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives ferulic and caffeic acids

Dietary polyphenols are beneficial to human health by exerting various biological effects. Ferulic and caffeic acids are hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives widely distributed in plant-derived food products. Studies indicate that some dietary compounds may have concentration-dependent antioxidant or prooxidant activities. The present study concerns such activities of ferulic and caffeic acids. They have concentration-dependent antioxidant effects in terms of inhibition of lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species-scavenging after 2,2'-azobis-amidinopropane dihydrochloride-induced damage in mouse liver microsomes and splenic lymphocytes respectively. They also show differential scavenging of nitric oxide, superoxide and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical (ABTS*(+)). In DPPH (1,1-diphenyl picrylhydrazyl) assay above 20 μM the absorbance start increasing due to the formation of an unknown adduct which has a shoulder at 517 nm. However, in Fenton reaction, above 5 μM, they behave as prooxidants and the possible mechanisms responsible for their prooxidant property may be related to their ferric reducing ability. These findings may have significant health implications where these natural compounds are being used/consumed.