Ferulic Acid 99%

Locked in the cell walls of cereal bran, ferulic acid is released and purified here from the bran of Oryza sativa, rice, by ethanol extraction and purification. It is a hydroxycinnamic acid with a methoxy group next to its phenolic hydroxyl, and the purified compound is a white crystalline powder.

The primary grade is 99% ferulic acid by HPLC, with a 98% grade also supplied, in Food / Dietary Supplement Grade. The powder is slightly soluble in water. It is used where the single phenolic acid, and not a mixed rice bran extract, is the defined ingredient.

SKU: BOT-PHY-0026 Category: Phytochemicals Tags: Ethanol Extracted, Plant Compounds, Polyphenols, Rice, Seed & Grain, Softgels & Oil Fills

Ferulic Acid Chemical Identity

Ferulic acid has the molecular formula C10H10O4 and a molecular weight of 194.2. The structure is a benzene ring carrying a hydroxyl and a methoxy group, attached to an acrylic acid side chain through a trans double bond. The conjugation between the ring and the double bond makes the molecule absorb strongly in the ultraviolet range, which is the basis of its detection by HPLC, and the carboxylic acid group makes it weakly acidic.

In plants, ferulic acid is rarely free. In rice bran it is bound by ester links to arabinoxylans in the cell wall and to triterpene alcohols and sterols in the oil fraction, and the free acid is released by alkaline or enzymatic hydrolysis. The natural source here is the bran of Oryza sativa L. Related rice bran materials include the ferulate esters of gamma-oryzanol, supplied as Rice Bran Extract 10–40% Gamma-Oryzanol, the 10:1 Rice Bran Extract Powder and a close structural relative, p-Coumaric Acid (4-Hydroxycinnamic Acid) 98%. Those have different compositions, while ferulic acid here is the free, purified acid.

The difference between ferulic and caffeic acid is a single methyl group, and between ferulic and p-coumaric acid a single methoxy group. Such small differences are easy to blur on a label, so the specification ties the name to the formula, the CAS number and the retention time of the main peak.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Natural Source	Oryza sativa bran
Plant Part	Seed & Grain
Processing	Ethanol Extraction & Purification
Compound Class	Polyphenols
Chemical Name (IUPAC)	(E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoic acid
CAS Number	1135-24-6
Molecular Formula	C10H10O4
Molecular Weight	194.18
PubChem CID	445858
InChIKey	KSEBMYQBYZTDHS-HWKANZROSA-N
SMILES	COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)/C=C/C(=O)O)O
Purity	99% (HPLC)
Available Grades	98% · 99% (HPLC)
Grade	Food / Dietary Supplement Grade
Appearance	White powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Slightly Soluble in Water
Quality Parameters
Moisture (LOD)	≤5.0%
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Ferulic Acid Purity Grades & Impurities

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
98% Ferulic Acid	HPLC	Blends and drink premixes
99% Ferulic Acid	HPLC	Capsules and reference-grade use

An HPLC assay for ferulic acid compares the main peak with a reference standard at a wavelength near 320 nm, where the cinnamate chromophore absorbs strongly. The percentage is a chromatographic purity, and it excludes water, ash and anything that does not absorb at the chosen wavelength, so the moisture and ash limits in the table are needed beside it.

The related substances of bran-derived ferulic acid are other hydroxycinnamic acids that are released along with it. Vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid and caffeic acid appear in small amounts, and sinapic acid is possible when other cereals are involved. The cis isomer forms when the trans acid is exposed to light, and it elutes slightly earlier than the main peak. Ferulic acid can also lose carbon dioxide on heating to give 4-vinylguaiacol, a volatile compound with a clove-like smell, so an off-odor on opening a container is a sign of thermal damage.

Dimers of ferulic acid, known as diferulic acids, are the characteristic by-products of cell wall chemistry and can carry through at trace level. The two grades differ in the share of these companions. At 98% a little more of the related acids remains, while at 99% the trace is cleaner and the color a purer white. A pale cream tint suggests residual pigment from the bran.

Ferulic Acid Solubility & Delivery

Ferulic acid is slightly soluble in cold water, more soluble in hot water, and soluble in ethanol, methanol and ethyl acetate. As an acid it dissolves much better above its pKa, and sodium or potassium salts are freely soluble, although the free acid is what this product supplies. Its logP is moderate, so it partitions into aqueous ethanol and into emulsion interfaces more readily than into pure oil.

For delivery, formulators exploit the pH dependence. A mildly alkaline stock dissolves the acid, and the pH is then adjusted back toward neutral in the final base, with the risk that the acid separates out if it exceeds its solubility. Light exposes the trans acid to isomerization, so solutions are kept in opaque containers. Heat decarboxylates the acid slowly, so thermal steps are kept short. In dry blends the crystalline powder is stable and free flowing, but it carries a static charge, and anti-static scoops and a conditioned room make weighing of small amounts more accurate. In the finished product the acid is often paired with a mildly acidic base to keep it in the free-acid form, because its salts darken faster in air.

Application Areas

Dissolved Drink Premixes

Ferulic acid dissolves best in a mildly alkaline stock, which is then neutralized in the drink base. Add the stock before the acid component, hold the pH steady, and filter the drink, since a lowered pH can bring the acid out of solution.

Capsule Fills at the 99% Grade

The 99% grade fills capsules at a small weight. The white crystals are static and slightly cohesive, so anti-static tools and a flow agent give an even fill, and opaque capsules protect the trans form from light.

Emulsion and Oil-Phase Systems

Emulsions carry ferulic acid in the aqueous-ethanol or interfacial layer. Dissolve the acid in the ethanol portion, add it to the aqueous phase under shear, and run a light-exposure trial of the finished product, since the trans form isomerizes.

Reference and Calibration Blends

Analytical teams use the 99% grade to calibrate hydroxycinnamic acid assays. Each weighing is logged, the standard is stored dry and dark, and a retained sample is kept per lot so the HPLC trace can be compared at the next order.

Tablet Blends With Dry Binders

Tablets press ferulic acid with a dry binder and a lubricant. The crystals compact reasonably well, but they are slightly sticky when the room is humid, so a dry press room, a lubricant at low level and a hardness check after a week in storage show whether the tablet holds its shape.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.