Phenolic acids: Natural versatile molecules with promising therapeutic applications

Highlights • Phenolic acids are key class of dietary polyphenols, natural antioxidants.• They exhibit a variety of functions including plant growth, development, and defense.• They are precursors of other significant bioactive molecules regularly used for therapeutic, cosmetics, and food industries.• These dietary antioxidants shields against growth and evolution in pathological conditions arise from oxidative stress.