The key difference between ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid is that ferulic acid is important in fighting off free radicals that tend to play a role in age-related skin issues such as age spots and wrinkles, whereas hyaluronic acid is important as a humectant that helps to hydrate the outer layer of skin and improve the skin’s appearance.
Both ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid have important effects on the skin; therefore, these substances are useful in cosmetic products.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ferulic Acid
3. What is Hyaluronic Acid
4. Ferulic Acid vs Hyaluronic Acid in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Ferulic Acid vs Hyaluronic Acid
What is Ferulic Acid?
Ferulic acid is a type of hydroxycinnamic acid and an organic compound having the chemical formula (CH3O)HOC6H3CH=CHCO2H. This substance can be classified as a phenolic phytochemical that occurs as an amber-colored solid. There are some esters of ferulic acid that can be found in plant cell walls that are covalently bound to hemicellulose, e.g. arabinoxylans.
Figure 01: The Chemical Structure of Ferulic Acid
Ferulic acid can be found in nature as a building block of lignocellulose, including pectin and lignin. There are a number of vegetable sources for this substance. Moreover, we can find it in particularly high content in popcorn and bamboo shoots. Moreover, it occurs as a major metabolite in chlorogenic acids in humans in combination with caffeic and isoferulic acid. It gets absorbed in the small intestine.
We can extract ferulic acid from wheat bran and maize bran using concentrated alkali. The biosynthesis of this acidic substance occurs in plants from caffeic acid by the reaction involving the enzyme caffeate O-methyltransferase. Furthermore, the biodegradation of this acidic substance occurs in the presence of certain yeast strains.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a polymeric organic molecule with the chemical formula (C14H21NO11)n. This compound is categorized under glycosaminoglycan compounds. However, hyaluronic acid is unique because it is the only non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan among them. This compound naturally occurs in the human body. It can undergo distribution throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues.
Figure 2: The Chemical Structure of Hyaluronic Acid
Unlike other glycosaminoglycan compounds, which form in the Golgi apparatus, this compound is formed in the plasma membrane. When considering hyaluronic acid’s application in the cosmetic industry, it is a common ingredient in many skin care products. Moreover, it is useful as a dermal filler in cosmetic surgeries. Manufacturers produce hyaluronic acid mainly via microbial fermentation processes. This is because of the lower production cost and less environmental pollution. The major microorganism used for this is Streptococcus sp. However, there is a great concern about this process since these microbial species are pathogenic.
What is the Difference Between Ferulic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid?
Both ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid have important effects on our skin; therefore, these substances are useful in cosmetic products. The key difference between ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid is that ferulic acid is important in fighting off free radicals that tend to play a role in age-related skin issues such as age spots and wrinkles, whereas hyaluronic acid is important as a humectant that helps to hydrate the outer layer of skin and improve the skin’s appearance.
Below is a summary of the difference between ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Ferulic Acid vs Hyaluronic Acid
Ferulic acid is a type of hydroxycinnamic acid having the chemical formula (CH3O)HOC6H3CH=CHCO2H. Hyaluronic acid is a polymeric organic molecule with the chemical formula (C14H21NO11)n. The key difference between ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid is that ferulic acid is important in fighting off free radicals that tend to play a role in age-related skin issues such as age spots and wrinkles, whereas hyaluronic acid is important as a humectant substance that helps to hydrate the outer layer of skin and improve the skin’s appearance.
Reference:
1. “Hyaluronic Acid: Skin Benefits, Products to Use, and More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 8 Mar. 2019.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Ferulic acid acsv” By Calvero – Selfmade with ChemDraw. (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Hyaluronan” By Vaccinationist – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia