Abstract: Phenolic acids, a class of plant secondary metabolites, are widely present in plants and have several bioactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, and immune-enhancing activities. In recent years, many studies have demonstrated that phenolic acids are closely related to plant development, induced resistance, food quality, and human health. The isolation, identification and biosynthesis pathway of phenolic acids have been investigated widely. Herein, the biosynthesis and metabolic regulation of phenolic acids, the influence of induced resistance on phenolic content, the relationship between phenolic acids and food quality, and the applications of metabolomics in studies on plant phenolics are reviewed, so as to provide a useful basis for the exploitation of phenolic acids in fruits and vegetables.

Key words: phenolic acid, biosynthesis, induced resistance, quality of fruits and vegetables, metabonomics