An introduction to what phytochemicals are was made in the first part of this write up. They are simply plant secondary metabolites that are produced by plants to help them fight against pathogens or help them resist environmental hostility. These chemicals in plants has been found to be very beneficial to human health. Some of these phytochemicals will be discussed briefly in this part 2, touching their source, and most importantly their health benefits. We will start with Phenolic acid which is a polyphenol

Phenolic acid is a good of example of polyphenol. They are situated in seed, fruit skin as well as vegetables. If you love berries, you will be taking in more of this acids. Like it was earlier stated, in the first part they help you to deal with reactive oxygen species (ROS). That name phenolic acid is not the end of itself, but rather a compendium of many compounds which are derived from Cinnamic acids and benzoic acids. The first point of call of Phenolic acid to be discussed will be p-hydroxybenzoic acid,(PHBA)

p-hydroxybenzoic acid,(PHBA)

Phenolic acids which are derivatives of Benzoic acid includes p-hydroxybenzoic acid,(PHBA) found in Vitex agnus-castus commonly known as chasteberry whose berries and leaves are traditionally believed to help male and female reproductive system. In the past, it was claimed that chasteberry was used as an anaphrodisiac, and of course, it is not only PHBA that is present in this plant , there are other non Phenolic acids phytochemicals there too . It was even advised that pregnant or lactating women should steer clear of this plant.

![Formation_of_PHBA.png](

^{, CC BY-SA 4.0 commons.wikimedia, formation of PHBA}

Also, PHBA can be found in other plant source such as carrot, grapes, oil palm, chinese chest tree and many other plants. But if probably you are taking any plant that contain this benzoic acid derivatives, you are taking plant reported to be effective against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. It is also effective against the growth of fungi, and algae. It is also used to isolate hydroxyl radical which is a reactive oxygen species that is generated during cerebral Ischemia a condition which restrict normal flow of oxygen rich blood to the brain which could lead to brain damage. It is also used to trap the hydroxyl radical after reperfusion (Restoring blood flow to the brain part that suffered ischemia). Literature has also established that it is one of phytochemical that is effective against the formation of sickle hemoglobin (antisickling) . Sickle cell anaemia is a health problem that see to the deformation of the red blood cell (RBC) such that the cell take a sickle shape whereby the RBC will not be able to transport oxygen round the cells of the body. It also exhibit antimutagenic and estrogenic activity. It is also a common preservative in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. It effectiveness as an antioxidant can be connected to the position of the hydroxyl group in the ring. It is more effective as an antioxidant when the -OH group is attached to the para or the ortho position of carboxylic acid group on the ring.

Salicylic acid

CC BY-SA 3.0, Salicylic acid

Another example of Benzoic acid derivatives is the popular salicylic acid which is an active metabolite of Aspirin. It's also a part of components used in making anti-acne products, an antiseptic and effective as food preservative. The antioxidative action of salicylic acid involves inhibiting the oxidations of several chemical reactions in the body. It also causes the cells of the dead skin to slough off easily. This eventually permit growth of new cell because salicylic acid prevents the skin pores from clogging. This is one of the reason why salicylic acid find its application in the making of skin care product because of it exfoliating effect on dead skin cells. To those battling with skin conditions such as pimples, whitehead, you might need a medication with moderate amount of salicylic acid to dissolve the dead skin clogging the skin pores. Or better still take plant source or salicylic acid such as sweet potato, coffee, vegetables, olive oil several fruits also contain this acid

Gallic acid

Another derivatives of Benzoic acid is gallic acid which is also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid. It has three hydroxyl group attached to the benzoic ring. They are commonly found in green tea leaves, oak bark, strawberries, bananas, gallnuts and several fruits and plants. Gallic acid can be found free or in attachment with hydrolyzable tannin (gallotannins), which when heated with mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid or tetrahydro sulphuric acid will yield gallic acid. The anticancer potential of Gallic acid and other compounds derived from it has been established against cancer cells such as prostate cancer, human ovarian cancer, colon cancer and host of other cancer. The anticancer effect of gallic acid is as a result of it ability to inhibit the increase in the number of the cancerous cell by simply programming the death of the cancerous cells.

![Gallic_acid.png](

^{, CC BY-SA 3.0 commons.wikimedia,Gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid )}

Gallic acid has also been reported to be effective against skin aging due to its anti-melanogenic activity. It is also reported to help inhibit HSV-2 a type 2 of herpes simplex virus. Also, it is observed to help prevent cell death in the pancreas of diabetic induced rats thereby showing potential that it could be effective against diabetes as a result of elevation in the activities of antioxidant enzymes which leads to the mopping up of reactive oxygen species. Though depending upon concentration, in vitro studies revealed that it elevate the secretion of insulin from the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas which is needful to control blood level sugar. The antioxidants activities of the acid also assist it to be a neuroprotective agent against oxidative stress caused by 6-hydroxydopamine in rats used as a model. Dopamine a neurotransmitter when oxidized, forms reactive oxygen species (ROS) which then induce destruction of neuron eventually leading to neuron death. As a result of ROS produced, membrane lipids encounter these ROS which then leads to formation of Lipid peroxidation(LPO) or simply put as oxidative degradation of Lipids which is a process where the free radicals of the ROS snaches electron from the cell membrane lipid which makes the cells to be damage. However, treatment using Gallic acid helps to limit the levels of Lipid peroxidation, and this is a signal that this compound could prevent neuronal damage.

Ellagic acid.

needpix.com Pomegranate rich in ellagitannins a hydrolyzable tannin

Ellagic acid is another derivative of Benzoic acid. present in fruits and vegetables. If you are interested in ellagic acid, chestnut, walnuts, raspberries, strawberries, grapes and cranberries are going to be real source that will supply you with it. You can also get it from pomegranates and peaches. At times , it may not be in a free state in some of it source but as ellagitannin a polyphenol which is an hydrolyzable tannin which when hydrolyzed with trifluoroacetic acid in the presence of methanol or water forms Hexahydroxydiphenic acid that can be lactonized to gives ellagic acid alongside other products.

![800px-Ellagic_acid_3D_ball.png](

^{,CC0 commons.wikimedia Ball-and-stick model of the ellagic acid, colour code Carbon is black, Hydrogen is white and Oxygen is red.}

When you are taking pomegranate, or any of the common berry such as raspberry, blackberry or strawberry , the ellagitannin present in them is metabolised by the gut microbiota ( a large population of microorganism helping human to break down large or complex food chemical substance) to a much more absorbable urolithins ( . This then can circulate in blood plasma as glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. So when you consume fruits containing this hydrolyzable tannin, your guts microbiota convert it to this urolithins for the body to utilize.

Ellagic acid has been reported to have great antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-fibrosis, chemopreventive and antiplasmodial activities.

Summary

Diets rich in any of the polyphenols discussed above is capable of preventing the movement of free radicals around the body. Diets full of fruits and vegetable makes the body deals with disease causing reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radical, alpha-oxygen, superoxide singlet oxygen and peroxides which are toxic to the body.