Phenolic acids occur naturally in plants and are their main polyphenols. In the plants, they act as signaling molecules and agents of defense. Since the acids are compounds of phenols, they are more commonly referred to as phenolic compounds. Possibly the most well known of these compounds are flavonoids. Lesser known phenolic acids include hydroxycinnamic acids and hydroxybenzoic acid.

Hydroxycinnamic and Hydroxybenzoic Acids

Hydroxycinnamic acid is a class of phenolic acids that are derivatives of cinnamic acid. These compounds can actually be found in many foods and are more common than hydroxybenzoic acids. The ones which can be found in foods include caffeic acid, cichoric acid, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, caftaric acid, coutaric acid, fertaric acid, diferulic acid, coumaric acid, coumarin, ferulic acid and sinapinic acid.

Foods where you can find some of these compounds include citrus fruits, aloe, hawthorn, grapes, pears, artichokes, thyme, basil, apples, oregano, strawberries, coffee, pineapples, sunflowers, echinacea, blueberries, win, maize, rice, oats, mushrooms and peanuts. These phenolic acids can also be found in non-food items. For instance, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is regularly found as a preservative is cosmetics and beauty products as parebens.

Benefits of Polyphenols & Phenolic Acids

Since polyphenols as as agents of defense for plants, their properties are also thought to be beneficial when consumed by humans. These compounds can offer the same antioxidant properties to humans. In fact, the compounds works to prevent free radical damage in the body by protecting the cells in the body. Polyphenols have four different groups or types, and phenolic acids are one of the four types.

Phenolic acids are primarily found in the seeds and skins of fruits, such as grapes. And for vegetables, the highest concentrations of phenolic acids are in the leaves. Once ingested, the phenolic acids gets absorbed when they reach your intestinal tract. This is something that is easily done by your body. Eating a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains ensures that you are consuming an abundant amount of phenolic acids in your diet.

Flavonoids, which are another of the four types of polyphenols, are also usually present where there are phenolic acids. As a result, there is some debate as to whether or not phenolic acids really are beneficial to your health or if the benefit actually derives from the flavonoids.

If someone in interested in increasing the amount of phenolic acids ingested daily, then that be done by eating a balanced diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Or, dietary supplement might be available. For instance, grape seed extract can be taken daily to get the phenolic acids that would normally come from eating grapes.

A resin is viscous compound that is made up of a mixture of organic substances. This type of compound can be hardened with treatment. A phenolic resin is a specific type of resin compound that is made up of phenols and aldehydes, which results in a type of heat formed plastic that has a variety of uses. Phenols are chemically active and exist naturally in plants.

Aldehydes, which come from carbon atoms, are organic molecule. This most common and simplest aldehyde is formaldehyde. Phenolic resins can actually be made by combining any different number of aldehydes with a phenol. With formaldehyde being the simplest aldehyde, it is most often combined with phenols to make a resin. In fact, this resin is called phenolic formaldehyde resin, or just PF for short.

Phenolic Resin Uses

This resin is very cheap to make. That, along with its versatility, makes it a popular choice among manufacturers. The heat cured plastic formed with this resin is heat resistant, very hard and can be used with a wide variety of materials, which means that it offers many practical uses for residential and industrial application.

The uncured resin is a liquid, which means that it can be molded into any form which also makes it an attractive alternative to plastic. Once molded and hardened, it is more lightweight than a plastic piece of the same shape and size. Sold under the ‘Bakelite’ brand name, phenolic resin was actually the very first synthetic resin to be sold and used. Bakelite is even still available today.

In the home, you can find evidence of phenolic resin all around you. It is used to create things such as the handles for your cookware, cabinet door handles, plastic cooking utensils, and the plastic plugs on your electronics and small appliances. When the resin it added to paper so that it saturates it, the result is the laminate that is widely used in bathrooms and kitchens.

The resin is commonly used for heat resistant applications. This includes things such as parts used with gears and pump impellers. It’s low cost also makes it a practical choice for such parts in marine and aviation applications. The heat resistance characteristic also makes phenolic resin a popular addition to electronic circuit boards.

Because phenolic resin is brittle by nature when hardened, it has to be mixed with various amounts of fibers to prevent the electronic circuit board from breaking.

Phenolic antioxidants are chemical compounds that come from plants and exhibit natural antioxidant properties. Since they are only found in plants, phenolic antioxidants are sometimes referred to as phytochemicals.

The antioxidant properties of these compounds have benefits against a variety of ailments, including arthritis and cancer, and derive from the polyphenols present in the plants.

Sources of Phenolic Antioxidants

Finding phenolic antioxidants is actually very easy because they are present in a wide variety of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. This includes things such as grapes, oats, blueberries, olives and artichokes. You can also find phenolic antioxidants in coffee, tea, herbs and spices, such as oregano, cinnamon and basil.

Organic varieties of fruits and vegetables offers higher concentrations of phenolic antioxidants than non-organic varieties. And since the skin is often where most of the phenolic antioxidants are concentrated, it is advisable to eat the skin of fruits and vegetables if you want to get most benefit from phenolic antioxidants in your food.

Benefits of Phenolic Antioxidants

Just like in the way that phenolic antioxidants protect plants naturally, they work to protect the body when ingested. One major benefit of phenolic antioxidants is that they work to prevent free radical damage in the body, which means that it protects the cells of the body. The cells are protected because the phenolic antioxidants guard against any type of cell deterioration or DNA damage or mutations.

Free radical damage is often the culprit in causing cancer cells, which means that phenolic antioxidants may reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, one of the ways that phenolic antioxidants work to protect the cells against free radical damage is that they suppress oxidation, which is what is normally responsible for tumor growth.

Phenolic antioxidants also have properties that reduce inflammation and the swelling of tissue in the body. This is beneficial because swelling and inflammation are often the causes of infection and pain in the body. Malicious bacteria does not stand much of a chance in a body full of phenolic antioxidants. That is because phenolic antioxidants boosts macrophage production in the body, which are white blood cell clusters that fight the bacteria.

Other studies done on phenolic antioxidants have shown the compounds to be effective in combating various ailments, or at least lessening the symptoms and severity of the ailments. Such ailments that have improved as a result of phenolic antioxidants include diabetes, cataracts, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological diseases.

A phenolic compound is the name given to a chemical combination made up of phenols and one or more other substance. Phenolic compounds occur naturally in a variety of foods, however they can also be made synthetically for a variety of industrial uses.

The make up of phenolic compounds varies. They include everything from L-DOPA, which is a prescription medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease, to capsaicin, which is the heat agent in hot peppers. In some instances, the compound is also referred to as a resin if it appears liquid but then hardens over time.

Synthetic Phenolic Compounds

A synthetic phenolic compound is one that is made in a laboratory with phenols and other substances. A good example of this type of compound is the mixture of phenols and formaldehyde to create the popular phenolic formaldehyde resin. Synthetic phenolic compounds are primarily used in place of more expensive hard plastics. This is because they are cheap to make and their natural liquid state means that they are easy to mold into any shape. Some prescription medications can also contain synthetic phenolic compounds.

Many such medications are intended to replicate the effects of natural phenolic compounds, which include dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline. Other examples of synthetic phenolic compounds include the food additive BHT, which stands for butylated hydroxytoluene, and Thymol, which is often used in mouthwashes as an antiseptic ingredient.

Natural Phenolic Compounds

In nature, scientists believe that phenolic compounds are present in plants as a way to protect the plants against pathogens when they are injured. This is why you see tree sap in the areas of a tree where bark is missing. Tree sap, such as pine sap is a good example of a natural phenolic compound that is also a resin.

Many different types of plants produce phenolic compounds similar to pine sap. You can find phenolic compounds in everything from dark plums to black tea.

Grape skins also are home to naturally occurring phenolic compounds, which have an effect on the color, taste and feel of the wine created from the grapes. The phenols in the grapes are also said to have antioxidant properties. Olive oil also contains naturally occurring phenolic compounds which offers antioxidant benefits.

Studies point to extra virgin olive oil as having higher concentrations of phenolic compounds naturally than other varieties of olive oil. It is believed that more antioxidant benefit is derived from the higher concentrations of the compounds.

A variety of different types of resin are available that can be used for purposes such as insulation and as binding agents. One of those types of resin is known by the term ‘phenolic.’

This particular type of resin is made up of aldehydes, which are organic molecules from carbon atoms, and phenol, which is a compound commonly found in plants. The aldehyde most often used with phenol to make the resin is formaldehyde, which is commonly referred to as phenolic formaldehyde resin.

The phenolic term can also be used when referring to the collective class of phenols in general, however the term ‘phenolic compound’ for the class is more commonly used.

Phenolic Common Uses

Phenolics are used in a variety of places, especially when there is a need for rigid materials. Uses include things such as creating bearings or moldings for a variety of consumer products. The most common use is for products that need cheap plastic as part or fitting. Since the resin hardens with treatment, it is the perfect choice as a cheap plastic alternative and it is used in a wide variety of consumer fittings.

Such examples include:

• soda bottle screw tops
• the handles for various pans and pots
• the plastic-like part of the plug on various consumer electronic devices

Phenolic is something that can be easily molded into different shapes, which is why it is seen on such a wide variety of products.

As binding agent, phenolic is most commonly used to hold together various composite woods such as plywood, chipboard and particleboard. Composite wood is a type of man made wood that is created by taking fibers, particles and strands of wood and mixing them together with an adhesive to made sheets of engineered wood.

The adhesive used has to be moisture resistant, which is why phenolics are used. The resin also does not let out much smoke if it combusts, which is also why it is used despite being a somewhat brittle compound.

Since it is easy to mold and very cheap, phenolic is also used as an insulator in some products. It is not the perfect choice for all situations, but it is a rather strong thermal insulator because of its high thermal mass.

You can also sometimes see phenolic sheets used in place of acrylic since it does not flex as easily. This use includes everything from guitar pick guards to hard floor mats to electric saw tables.