Cinnamic Acids

Cis-4-Hydroxycinnamic acid is a phenolic acid that is found in plants and is a natural compound. It has been shown to be an inhibitor of cell proliferation. Cis-4-Hydoxycinnamic acid inhibits the synthesis of DNA and RNA, which may inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. This compound can be extracted from plant materials by acetate extract or preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Cis-4-Hydoxycinnamic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties, which may be due to its inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.

Carboxylic acid with phenol function

Ethyl 4-aminocinnamate is a supramolecular, homologous, activated, linear polymer. It is used as an amine and phosphazene ligand in mesomorphic solid-state chemistry. It has a reversible covalent bond that can be thermally broken and re-formed. This property allows for the synthesis of polymers with functional groups on both ends of the molecule. The nitro group on this compound can be reduced to amine to give another functional group. Ethyl 4-aminocinnamate has been shown to have pharmacokinetic properties that are similar to those of ethyl 4-aminobenzoate (EB). EB is an inhibitor of NS5B polymerase that blocks RNA synthesis and leads to inhibition of viral replication. EB also inhibits ring opening reactions in the presence of nitro groups, which may explain its inhibitory effect on HIV RNA synthesis.

Phenol alcohol