Abstract:

Ferulic acid is a phenolic compound widely exists in plants. Currently ferulic acid on the market is mainly extracted from plants, but it can also be obtained via biosynthesis or chemical synthesis. The biosynthesis method has a great potential for future production of ferulic acid. Ferulic acid is frequently used as a whitening ingredient in cosmetics, since it reduces melanin production by competitively inhibiting tyrosinase activity. It also has strong antioxidant activity, including elimination of free radicals, inhibition of ROS production, and regulation of various signaling pathways and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The anti-UV activity of ferulic acid makes it applicable in sunscreen cosmetics. It can absorb UV rays and inhibit UVB-induced matrix metalloproteinase MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities to attenuate the damage caused by UV radiation. Ferulic acid is also reported to display protective effects on human keratinocytes and human skin fibroblasts. In addition, it is found to have effective anti-aging effect, mainly through inhibiting the degradation of hyaluronic acid by reducing the activities of collagenase and hyaluronidase, and inducing the biosynthesis of pre-collagen and hyaluronic acid. Ferulic acid shows potential for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases of the skin. Its anti-inflammatory effect results from the inhibition of multiple inflammatory factors and signaling pathways. Ferulic acid displays broad-spectrum antibacterial effect, by damaging the cell membranes of bacteria and fungi which leads to membrane leakage and cell death. Furthermore, ferulic acid can also promote skin healing and regeneration. However, the instability of ferulic acid limits its applications in cosmetics.

Key words: ferulic acid, bioactivity, cosmetics