To date, cichoric acid has been reported to be distributed in many plants. At least 63 genera and species of plants have been found to contain cichoric acid. Chichoric acid is the main active ingredient in Echinacea Purpurea Extract Powder.
1. Physical and chemical Properties
Chichoric acid's molecular formula is C22H18O22. Molecular weight is 474.37. There are three stereoisomers : D-cichoric acid, L-cichoric acid, meso-cichoric acid. In addition, equal amounts of right-handed and left-handed forms are mixed to obtain racemic cichoric acid.
2. Isomer
Different isomers of cichoric acid have been found in natural plants, but the reported results are inconsistent. According to literature reports, the identification and separation methods of cichoric acid isomers include paper chromatography, thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, liquid-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, etc.
3. Stability
The instability of cichoric acid limits its industrial production and application. Chichoric acid is unstable, especially prone to enzymatic hydrolysis and oxidation in the water phase and deliquescence. Therefore, its stability is affected by many factors, such as the environment's temperature, humidity, enzymes, ultraviolet light, etc. The study found that cichoric acid stability decreased with increasing pH. Solid cichoric acid is very stable, especially in water and at high temperatures. It is highly sensitive to UV light and isomerizes to meso-cichoric acid.
Chichoric acid is relatively stable in food systems such as milk powder, jelly and fruit juice drinks. It is significantly degraded in gastric contents, possibly due to enzymes in the stomach.
Summary
Currently, the cichoric acid used in the research is mainly derived from the monomers extracted from Echinacea or Chicory. The main research fields of cichoric acid focus on its biological activities and pharmacological effects, including anti-virus, anti-inflammatory, balancing glycolipid, anti-oxidation, anti-cancer, anti-aging, etc.