Systematic review and technological prospection: ethyl ferulate, a phenylpropanoid with antioxidant and neuroprotective actions

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Ethyl ferulate is a phenylpropanoid with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities of natural and synthetic origin with potential uses in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the current scenario regarding patents and scientific articles available involving the substance in question, regarding aspects such as quantity, areas of knowledge and depositor countries.

Areas covered: To do so, we conducted technological and scientific prospecting on the WIPO, EPO, USPTO and INPI and scientific databases in PubMed, Web of Science and Lilacs databases using the keywords ‘ferulic acid ethyl ester’ and ‘ethyl ferulate’ in English and Portuguese. A total of 16 articles and 17 patents of which 10 were Chinese and 11 claimed the use of ethyl ferulate or for the synthesis of other substances or synthetic methods of the same. Five of the patents selected claimed therapeutic applications related to the treatment of mycobacterial infections, use as a cosmetic and neuroprotective activity. The systematic review of the literature revealed antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antiapoptotic, antimutagenic and antiproliferative activities.

Expert opinion: The technological and scientific prospection highlighted ethyl ferulate, despite its known pharmacological activities, is little explored by the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethyl ferulate
• biotechnology
• natural product
• antioxidant
• anti-inflammatory activity

Article highlights

1. Ethyl ferulate has antioxidant, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects.

2. There are few studies on animal models of disease despite proven activities.

3. There are few patents exploiting the therapeutic properties of ethyl ferulate.

4. Most patents with ethyl ferulate relate to the chemical area for the synthesis of other substances.

5. Most patents claiming therapeutic applications of ethyl ferulate suggest activity and applications via the Nrf-2 pathway

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded;Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [425508/2016-1].