Abstract: Phenolic acids, a class of secondary metabolites containing phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, are widely distributed in higher plants. Phenolic acids are bound to structural components of the cell wall through ester and ether linkages in plant food materials, and have multiple bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Phenolic compounds have gained wide interest in recent years and become one of the hotspots in the field of food research. Through a series of biological regulation techniques, various phenolic acids can be enriched in plant food materials, thereby effectively improving their nutritional value. In this paper, the types, structures, biosynthesis, metabolic regulation and bioactivities of phenolic acids in plant food materials are summarized. In the end, the future directions are also discussed.

Key words: plants, phenolic acids, biosynthesis and regulation, bioactivity