Ferulic acid powder is extracted from the stem and root of Ferula assafoetida L.,whole plant of Cimicifuga foetida L. Ferulic acid is white powder,the melting point is 174 °C, ferulic soluble in hot water, ethanol and eth aceta, slightly soluble in ether.

Ferulic acid powder, like many phenols, is an antioxidant in the sense that it is reactive toward free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS and free radicals are implicated in DNA damage, cancer, accelerated cell aging.

Animal studies and in vitro studies suggest that ferulic acid may have direct antitumor activity against breast cancer and liver cancer. Ferulic acid may have pro-apoptotic effects in cancer cells, thereby leading to their destruction. Ferulic acid may be effective at preventing cancer induced by exposure to the carcinogenic compounds benzopyrene and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide.