Analysis of aromatic acids (phenolic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids)

Abstract Phenolic acids are one of the most pervasive groups of plant phenolic compounds. Due to their significance in plants composition and for human health, a better understanding of phenolic acids concentrations and biological activities can potentially highlight their therapeutic properties and also help predict and control the quality of medicinal herbs. Plants and herbs used by humans may contain thousands of different flavonoids and phenolic acids. Dietary phenols have currently drawn much attention due to their antioxidative and potential anticarcinogenic effects. Phenolic acids also serve as reducing agents, quenchers of singlet oxygen formation, and scavengers of free radicals. In addition, phenolic acids’ components contribute greatly to controlling cancer and other human diseases. Certain techniques are currently available to extract, isolate, and quantify these components from nature-based sources. The mentioned methods should be easy, quick, friendly, environmental, and inclusive. This review addressed advanced extraction methods for isolation, identification, and quantification of aromatic acids from plant sources.