Question

Question: Explain why ferulic acid, a natural product found in rice, oats, and other plants, is both an antioxidant and a sunscreen.

Short answer

Answer

Due to the presence of phenoxide ions and conjugated pi bonds, ferulic acid is used as an antioxidant and a sunscreen, respectively.

Step-by-step solution

Antioxidant

The antioxidant tends to form a stable radical. The phenol tends to form a stabilized phenoxide ion by radical formation.

Sunscreen

The conjugated pi bonds increase the wavelength, which reduces the energy in the UV range. Therefore, they absorb the incoming UV rays from the atmosphere.

Explanation

Phenol makes ferulic acid an antioxidant. The loss of hydrogen atom forms a highly stabilized phenoxy radical that inhibits radical formation during oxidation.

The highly conjugated π system makes it sunscreen.