Ferulic acid: a liver protector.

Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic acid found in plants, such as wheat, corn, beet, etc. It is an important active ingredient in many herbal medicines. FA has been reported to have a variety of biological activities, especially in the resistance to oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular endothelial damage, fibrosis, apoptosis, and platelet aggregation. Because FA has advantages of high activities, low cost, non-toxic, good safety and stable structure. So it is widely used in food additives, medicine, healthcare products, and cosmetics. Numerous studies have shown the protective effects of FA and its derivatives on the liver. This paper reviews the recent research progress of FA and its derivatives in preventing and curing liver damages induced by various different factors, including the effects of FA and its derivatives on physicochemical factors induced liver injury, liver tumors, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver metabolic disorder of diabetics, and hepatotoxicity of aflatoxin B1. The aim of this review is to provide reference for the research and application of FA and its derivatives in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.