Gallic acid and its congeners are commonly present in variety of fruits and number of plants. In addition to its
natural origin, large number of synthesized gallic acid derivatives are also available. It has a wide range of industrial
uses including its role as standard for determing phenolic content of analytes in pharmaceutical industry, as source
material for ink, paints and colour developer. Studies on gallic acid and its derivatives have exhibited its potential
for combating oxidative damages, cancer manifestations and microbial infestations. Further, gallic acid extracted
from different natural sources has been implicated to possess potency to ameliorate neurodegenerative disorders
and aging. Furthermore, large number of reseach explorations are available to show its ability for the treatment
of diabetes, ischemic heart diseases, ulcer and other ailments. In this review, an attempt is made to compile
the scattered information on gallic acid and its derivatives for their pharmacological role, isolation and extraction
procedures as well as quantification. This might help our research fraternity to explore gallic acid in their future
research as a lead compound for new drug development.