Editing Benzoic acid (section)

== Biology and health effects ==
Benzoic acid occurs naturally as do its esters in many plant and animal species. Appreciable amounts are found in most berries (around 0.05%). Ripe fruits of several ''[[Vaccinium]]'' species (e.g., [[cranberry]], ''V. vitis macrocarpon''; [[bilberry]], ''V. myrtillus'') contain as much as 0.03–0.13% free benzoic acid. Benzoic acid is also formed in [[apple]]s after infection with the fungus ''[[Nectria galligena]]''. Among animals, benzoic acid has been identified primarily in omnivorous or phytophageous species, e.g., in viscera and muscles of the [[rock ptarmigan]] (''Lagopus muta'') as well as in gland secretions of male [[muskox]]en (''Ovibos moschatus'') or Asian bull elephants (''[[Elephas maximus]]'').<ref name = "concise" /> [[Benzoin (resin)|Gum benzoin]] contains up to 20% of benzoic acid and 40% benzoic acid esters.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Tomokuni K, Ogata M | title=Direct Colorimetric Determination of Hippuric Acid in Urine| journal=Clin Chem | year=1972 | pages=349–351| volume=18| pmid= 5012256| issue= 4| doi=10.1093/clinchem/18.4.349| doi-access=free}}</ref>

In terms of its [[biosynthesis]], benzoate is produced in plants from [[cinnamic acid]].<ref name=Vogt>{{cite journal|journal=Molecular Plant|volume=3|year=2010|pages=2–20|doi=10.1093/mp/ssp106|pmid=20035037|title=Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis|author=Vogt, T.|doi-access=free}}</ref> A pathway has been identified from [[phenol]] via [[4-hydroxybenzoate]].<ref name=Juteau>{{cite journal|first=Pierre|last=Juteau|author2=Valérie Côté|author3=Marie-France Duckett|author4=Réjean Beaudet|author5=François Lépine|author6=Richard Villemur|author7=Jean-Guy Bisaillon|title=Cryptanaerobacter phenolicus gen. nov., sp. nov., an anaerobe that transforms phenol into benzoate via 4-hydroxybenzoate|journal=International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology|volume=55|issue=1|pages=245–250|date=January 2005|doi=10.1099/ijs.0.02914-0|pmid=15653882|doi-access=free}}</ref>