Ferulic acid is a derivative of cinnamic acid with molecular formula C10H10O4. In 1886, Hlasiwetz Barth, an Austrian, isolated 3-methoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid from the genus Ferula foetida for structure determination. Ferulic acid together with dihydroferulic acid, is a component of lignocelluloses, conferring cell wall rigidity by cross linking lignin and polysaccharides.