Bioisosteric OH- to SH- replacement changes the antioxidant profile of ferulic acid

We report the synthesis of 4-thioferulic acid (TFA), a new ferulic acid (FA) derivative, and highlight the differences between the two compounds concerning rate and mechanism of radical scavenging activity, redox potential, acidity of the phenol/thiophenol moieties, cytotoxicity in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, and neuroprotection against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) in the same cellular model