Neochlorogenic acid

Neochlorogenic acid at a Glance

Neochlorogenic acid is 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA) — an ester of caffeic acid and quinic acid, and a positional isomer of chlorogenic acid (5-CQA). The two molecules differ only in which hydroxyl of the quinic-acid ring carries the caffeoyl group, and they almost always occur together as a family with cryptochlorogenic acid (4-CQA).

It is a common dietary phenolic — the dominant caffeoylquinic-acid isomer of prunes, peaches and other Prunus fruits, and a major one of mulberry leaf and honeysuckle. Documented activities are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and some antiviral and neuroprotective effects, but nearly all of this is in-vitro work on the isolated molecule or on isomer mixtures. There are no human trials of neochlorogenic acid as an isolate; where people have been studied, it was as one component of coffee, mulberry-leaf or fruit polyphenol blends. Read the page with that ceiling in mind.

Neochlorogenic Acid vs. Chlorogenic Acid (The Numbering Trap)

This molecule’s most important — and most confusing — feature is its relationship to chlorogenic acid, and the confusion is partly a nomenclature accident.

The three mono-caffeoylquinic acids are, in current IUPAC numbering:

• Neochlorogenic acid = 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA) — this molecule.
• Cryptochlorogenic acid = 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4-CQA).
• Chlorogenic acid = 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA).

The trap: IUPAC reversed the quinic-acid ring numbering in 1976 ^{1Reference 1Clifford MN et al. · 2017ReviewChlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering, isomerisation)View study →}. Under the older convention, chlorogenic acid was called “3-caffeoylquinic acid” and neochlorogenic acid was called “5-caffeoylquinic acid” — the exact opposite of today’s usage. So the name “3-caffeoylquinic acid” points to neochlorogenic acid in modern papers but to chlorogenic acid in pre-1976 literature, and reputable chemical suppliers still sell neochlorogenic acid labelled “trans-5-O-caffeoylquinic acid.” Both conventions remain in circulation. On this site the modern numbering is used throughout: neochlorogenic acid is 3-CQA.

Because the isomers are so easily interconverted (chlorogenic acid isomerises to neochlorogenic and cryptochlorogenic acid under heat and mild alkali) and co-elute closely, a great deal of published “chlorogenic acid” data is really an isomer mixture — a caveat that shadows almost every claim below.

What It's Used For

Neochlorogenic acid’s isolate-specific evidence is thin and preclinical: a handful of cell-based studies on the pure compound, plus its share of the large, mixture-based literature on caffeoylquinic acids generally. It has no dedicated human trials.

Evidence by IndicationStrength of support · Beta

Support is an experimental score — weighted by study type (human > animal > in vitro) and volume. A beta, not a validated metric. Every row here rests on preclinical data only, so the scores are low by design; read the per-row basis.

01Anti-inflammatory / neuroinflammationShaky24%Isolated compound in microglia + lung-epithelial cell models ^{2,3Reference 2Kim M et al. · 2015Neochlorogenic acid inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced activation and pro-inflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cellsView study →Reference 3Gao XH et al. · 2020Anti-inflammatory effects of neochlorogenic acid extract from mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) against LPS-stimulated inflammatory response through mediating the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway in A549 cellsView study →}

02AntioxidantShaky20%Isomer-mixture and isolate radical-scavenging assays ^{6Reference 6Nakatani N et al. · 2000Identification, quantitative determination, and antioxidative activities of chlorogenic acid isomers in prune (Prunus domestica L.) — neochlorogenic acid the dominant isomerView study →}

03Metabolic / hepatic lipidShaky18%Fatty-liver cell models (isolate + mulberry extract), miR-34a/AMPK ^{4,5Reference 4Yu MH et al. · 2021In vitroNeochlorogenic acid attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation via regulating miR-34a in vitroView study →Reference 5Yang TY et al. · 2022Mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) extracts and its chlorogenic acid isomer component improve glucolipotoxicity-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via downregulating miR-34a and decreased inflammationView study →}

04Antiviral (anti-HIV)Shaky10%Single in-vitro screen of mulberry-bark constituents ^{7Reference 7Li J et al. · 2021Neochlorogenic acid: an anti-HIV active compound identified by screening of Cortex Mori [Morus alba L. (Moraceae)]View study →}

Mechanisms

All rows are preclinical. As with its isomer chlorogenic acid, the in-vitro concentrations often exceed what oral dosing produces in blood — see Pharmacokinetics.

Pharmacokinetics

Neochlorogenic acid behaves like the rest of the caffeoylquinic-acid family: it is poorly absorbed intact and extensively metabolised by the gut microbiota. Only a minority of an ingested caffeoylquinic-acid dose is taken up in the small intestine; the remainder reaches the colon, where bacterial esterases hydrolyse it to caffeic acid and quinic acid and reduce these further to dihydrocaffeic, ferulic and dihydroferulic acids, which the liver then conjugates ^{8Reference 8Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →}. The species circulating in blood are therefore mostly these small phenolic-acid metabolites, not the parent ester, and the three CQA isomers are absorbed and metabolised at different rates ^{8,9Reference 8Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →Reference 9Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →}. No neochlorogenic-acid-specific human pharmacokinetic dataset exists; its disposition is inferred from the broader caffeoylquinic-acid literature. The practical consequence is the standard one: cell studies dosing 10–100 µmol/L of intact neochlorogenic acid test a concentration oral intake does not reach ^{8Reference 8Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →}.

Clinical Trials

There are no clinical trials of isolated neochlorogenic acid. Human data that touch it are trials of coffee, green-coffee extract, mulberry-leaf preparations and fruit polyphenol mixtures, in which it is one caffeoylquinic-acid isomer among several — its individual contribution unresolved.

Last checked: July 2026.

Isolate vs. Plant Studies

The isolate-vs-plant balance leans hard toward mixtures. The few genuinely isolated-molecule studies are all cellular — the BV2 microglia work ^{2Reference 2Kim M et al. · 2015Neochlorogenic acid inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced activation and pro-inflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cellsView study →}, the fatty-liver miR-34a study ^{4Reference 4Yu MH et al. · 2021In vitroNeochlorogenic acid attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation via regulating miR-34a in vitroView study →}, and the mulberry-bark anti-HIV screen ^{7Reference 7Li J et al. · 2021Neochlorogenic acid: an anti-HIV active compound identified by screening of Cortex Mori [Morus alba L. (Moraceae)]View study →}. Everything with an animal or human dimension is a plant preparation (mulberry-leaf extract ^{3,5Reference 3Gao XH et al. · 2020Anti-inflammatory effects of neochlorogenic acid extract from mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) against LPS-stimulated inflammatory response through mediating the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway in A549 cellsView study →Reference 5Yang TY et al. · 2022Mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) extracts and its chlorogenic acid isomer component improve glucolipotoxicity-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via downregulating miR-34a and decreased inflammationView study →}, prune ^{6Reference 6Nakatani N et al. · 2000Identification, quantitative determination, and antioxidative activities of chlorogenic acid isomers in prune (Prunus domestica L.) — neochlorogenic acid the dominant isomerView study →}, coffee) in which neochlorogenic acid co-occurs with chlorogenic and cryptochlorogenic acids, di-caffeoylquinic acids and other phenolics. Because these isomers interconvert and co-elute, even analytical attributions to “neochlorogenic acid” specifically should be read cautiously. The honest position: neochlorogenic acid is a credible bioactive contributor to several polyphenol-rich foods, but no effect has yet been shown to depend on it as an isolate in vivo.

Prevalence in Nature

Neochlorogenic acid is a widespread dietary caffeoylquinic acid, notable for being the dominant CQA isomer in several Prunus fruits where chlorogenic acid (5-CQA) more usually leads. In prune (dried Prunus domestica), the three isomers occur in an approximate neochlorogenic : chlorogenic : cryptochlorogenic ratio of 79 : 18 : 4, making neochlorogenic acid the principal caffeoylquinic acid of the fruit ^{6Reference 6Nakatani N et al. · 2000Identification, quantitative determination, and antioxidative activities of chlorogenic acid isomers in prune (Prunus domestica L.) — neochlorogenic acid the dominant isomerView study →}. It is likewise a major CQA of peaches and other stone fruit, and appears with apricots and cherries ^{10Reference 10Mattila P et al. · 2006Phenolic acids in berries, fruits, and beveragesView study →}.

Beyond Prunus, it is a characteristic phenolic of mulberry (Morus alba) — present in both leaf and root bark ^{3,7Reference 3Gao XH et al. · 2020Anti-inflammatory effects of neochlorogenic acid extract from mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) against LPS-stimulated inflammatory response through mediating the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway in A549 cellsView study →Reference 7Li J et al. · 2021Neochlorogenic acid: an anti-HIV active compound identified by screening of Cortex Mori [Morus alba L. (Moraceae)]View study →} — and of honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and it occurs alongside chlorogenic acid in coffee and many other caffeoylquinic-acid-bearing plants, usually as a minor isomer there ^{9Reference 9Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →}. Biosynthetically it is a phenylpropanoid ester formed on the same pathway as chlorogenic acid (a caffeoyl group transferred onto quinic acid), and it also arises non-enzymatically when chlorogenic acid isomerises under heat or mild alkali during processing and storage ^{1,9Reference 1Clifford MN et al. · 2017ReviewChlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering, isomerisation)View study →Reference 9Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →}. There is no meaningful non-plant source.

Discovery & Synthesis

Neochlorogenic acid was recognised as a distinct caffeoylquinic-acid isomer of chlorogenic acid in the early 1950s, reported from peaches — the “neo-” prefix marking it as a newly distinguished relative of the long-known chlorogenic acid (this attribution is commonly cited but the primary source is unconfirmed). Its structure — the caffeoyl ester at the 3-position of quinic acid — was settled within the broader effort to map the caffeoylquinic-acid family, the same body of work that later prompted the 1976 IUPAC renumbering of the quinic-acid ring that gives the modern 3-/4-/5-CQA labels ^{1Reference 1Clifford MN et al. · 2017ReviewChlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering, isomerisation)View study →}.

It is not manufactured by total synthesis for practical use. Commercial neochlorogenic acid is obtained by extraction and chromatographic purification from CQA-rich plant material (mulberry leaf, stone-fruit or coffee sources), or generated by controlled isomerisation of chlorogenic acid, exploiting the same heat/alkali interconversion that produces it in food processing ^{9Reference 9Alcázar Magaña A et al. · 2021ReviewCaffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — reviewView study →}.

Patents: not yet researched.

Toxicity & Safety

Neochlorogenic acid carries a low toxicity flag. It is a common constituent of ordinary foods — prunes, peaches, coffee — eaten in quantity without characteristic adverse effects, and no isolate-specific toxicity, genotoxicity or reproductive-toxicity dataset flags a concern. Its safety profile is essentially that of the dietary caffeoylquinic acids generally, and its very low oral bioavailability further limits systemic exposure to the intact molecule ^{8Reference 8Clifford MN et al. · 2020ReviewBioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — reviewView study →}.

Safety at a Glance

✅ Low / no toxicity

• Ordinary dietary phenolic. Consumed routinely in prunes, peaches, mulberry-leaf products and coffee with no characteristic toxicity.
• Isolate safety not formally characterised. There is no dedicated toxicology, interaction or reproductive-safety package for purified neochlorogenic acid; absence of reported harm is not the same as tested safety.
• Caffeoylquinic-acid class notes carry over. Any interaction or tolerability considerations described for the better-studied isomer chlorogenic acid (e.g. additive blood-pressure effects, high-dose homocysteine signals) are more plausibly relevant to whole-food or extract intake than to this single isomer, and remain unquantified for it.

Dosage

There is no established dose for neochlorogenic acid, as an isolate or otherwise — no human trials define one. Dietary exposure comes from caffeoylquinic-acid-rich foods (a serving of prunes supplies tens of milligrams of total CQAs, of which neochlorogenic acid is the largest share ^{6Reference 6Nakatani N et al. · 2000Identification, quantitative determination, and antioxidative activities of chlorogenic acid isomers in prune (Prunus domestica L.) — neochlorogenic acid the dominant isomerView study →}) and from mulberry-leaf and green-coffee products standardised to total chlorogenic acids rather than to this isomer. Any figure cited in the literature is a research or dietary quantity, not a personal recommendation.

References

1. Clifford MN, Jaganath IB, Ludwig IA, Crozier A. (2017). Chlorogenic acids and the acyl-quinic acids: discovery, biosynthesis, bioavailability and bioactivity — review (naming, structure, 1976 IUPAC renumbering, isomerisation). Natural Product Reports, 34(12), 1391–1421. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29160894/
2. Kim M, Choi SY, Lee P, Hur J. (2015). Neochlorogenic acid inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced activation and pro-inflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells. Neurochemical Research, 40(9), 1792–1798. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26152332/
3. Gao XH, Zhang SD, Wang LT, Yu L, Zhao XL, Ni HY, Wang YQ, Wang JD, Shan CH, Fu YJ. (2020). Anti-inflammatory effects of neochlorogenic acid extract from mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) against LPS-stimulated inflammatory response through mediating the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway in A549 cells. Molecules, 25(6), 1385. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32197466/
4. Yu MH, Hung TW, Wang CC, Wu SW, Yang TW, Yang CY, Tseng TH, Wang CJ. (2021). Neochlorogenic acid attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation via regulating miR-34a in vitro. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(23), 13163. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34884968/
5. Yang TY, Yu MH, Wu YL, Hong CC, Chen CS, Chan KC, Wang CJ. (2022). Mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) extracts and its chlorogenic acid isomer component improve glucolipotoxicity-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via downregulating miR-34a and decreased inflammation. Nutrients, 14(22), 4808. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36432495/
6. Nakatani N, Kayano S, Kikuzaki H, Sumino K, Katagiri K, Mitani T. (2000). Identification, quantitative determination, and antioxidative activities of chlorogenic acid isomers in prune (Prunus domestica L.) — neochlorogenic acid the dominant isomer. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 48(11), 5512–5516. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11087511/
7. Li J, Dou L, Chen S, Zhou H, Mou F. (2021). Neochlorogenic acid: an anti-HIV active compound identified by screening of Cortex Mori [Morus alba L. (Moraceae)]. Pharmaceutical Biology, 59(1), 1420–1426. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34714196/
8. Clifford MN, Kerimi A, Williamson G. (2020). Bioavailability and metabolism of chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) in humans — review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 19(4), 1299–1352. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33337099/
9. Alcázar Magaña A, Kamimura N, Soumyanath A, Stevens JF, Maier CS. (2021). Caffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity — review. The Plant Journal, 107(5), 1299–1319. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34171156/
10. Mattila P, Hellström J, Törrönen R. (2006). Phenolic acids in berries, fruits, and beverages. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(19), 7193–7199. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16968082/

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