Abstract
This paper reviews the reported pharmacological properties of protocatechuic acid (PCA, 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid), a type of phenolic acid found in many food plants such as olives and white grapes. PCA is a major metabolite of anthocyanin. The pharmacological actions of PCA have been shown to include strong in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity. In in vivo experiments using rats and mice, PCA has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory as well as antihyperglycemic and antiapoptotic activities. Furthermore, PCA has been shown to inhibit chemical carcinogenesis and exert proapoptotic and antiproliferative effects in different cancerous tissues. Moreover, in vitro studies have shown PCA to have antimicrobial activities and also to exert synergistic interaction with some antibiotics against resistant pathogens. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the pharmacological properties of PCA reported to date with an emphasis on its biological properties and mechanisms of action which could be therapeutically useful in a clinical setting.
Highlights
Protocatechuic acid (PCA, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid) is a phenolic compound found in many food plants such as Olea europaea, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Eucommia ulmoides, Citrus microcarpa Bunge, and Vitis vinifera [1,2,3]
The aim of this review is to comprehensively summarize the pharmacological properties of PCA reported to date including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemia, antiapoptosis/proapoptosis, and antimicrobial activities, with an emphasis on the biological properties and mechanisms of action which could be potentially useful in a clinical setting
In streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats, PCA was found to decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in liver, heart, kidney, and brain by restoring endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities [3, 30]. All of these findings indicated that the PCA possess potential antioxidant activity, suggesting that it could be used as a complementary medication to prevent oxidative damage in various degenerative diseases
Summary
Protocatechuic acid (PCA, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid) is a phenolic compound found in many food plants such as Olea europaea (olives), Hibiscus sabdariffa (roselle), Eucommia ulmoides (du-zhong), Citrus microcarpa Bunge (calamondin), and Vitis vinifera (white wine grapes) [1,2,3]. Anthocyanins have been shown to affect a variety of physiological activities which are of great benefit to health, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. This particular beneficial effect is partly due to the antiinflammatory properties [6,7,8], antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities [9,10,11,12], peroxidation inhibition [13], and estrogenic/antiestrogenic activity [14] of PCA. PCA itself has been shown to possess antioxidant properties as well as having other potential health benefits such as anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this review is to comprehensively summarize the pharmacological properties of PCA reported to date including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemia, antiapoptosis/proapoptosis, and antimicrobial activities, with an emphasis on the biological properties and mechanisms of action which could be potentially useful in a clinical setting
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
