Orotic acid is a minor dietary constituent. Historically it was believed to be part of the vitamin B complex and was called vitamin B13, but it is now known that it is not a vitamin and is synthesized in the body, where it arises as an intermediate in the pathway for the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. Orotic acid is converted to UMP by UMP synthase, a multifunctional protein with both orotate phosphoribosyl transferase and orotidylate decarboxylase activity. The most frequently observed inborn error of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis is a mutation of the multifunctional protein UMP synthase. As a result, plasma orotic acid accumulates to high concentrations, and increased quantities appear in the urine. Orotic acid levels are elevated in the urea cycle defects ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, citrullinemia and argininosuccinic acidemia, as well as the mitochondrial transport disorder hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome. Orotic acid is also elevated in hereditary orotic aciduria, or uridine monophosphate synthase deficiency, an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by megaloblastic anemia and crystalluria. In addition, orotic acid in combination with leflunomide is in the phase II of clinical trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of a combination in kidney transplant patients with high levels of Polyoma BK viruria for the purpose of preventing polyoma BK viremia and nephropathy, that could lead to kidney transplant loss from viral damage, acute rejection or both.

Shikimic acid (SA), an active metabolite of polyphenol-rich food intake, originally extracted from Illicium verum Hook. fil. is an indispensable starting material for the synthesis of the antiviral drug oseltamivir and others useful compounds. In the biological studies, SA has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, analgesia, antioxidant, antithrombotic, and antibacterial activities. SA can play an important role in reducing platelet activation, aggregation related thrombus formation and biomarkers of thrombogenesis in sedentary individuals. In addition, was investigated antibacterial activity of SA against S. aureus, which could be caused by the interactions of SA with S. aureus membrane proteins and lipids, resulting in causing cell membrane dysfunction and bacterial damage or even death.

Peracetic acid, also known as peroxyacetic acid, is an organic peroxide used an an antimicrobial agent. It is commonly utlized as a medical instrument and food industry disinfectant. Peracetic acid is also used in epoxidation of various alkenes, converting carbon–carbon double bonds into oxiranes. It is a strong oxidizing agent that can cause irritation to skin and respiratory tract.

Caffeic acid is an organic compound that is classified as a hydroxycinnamic acid. Caffeic acid is naturally found in many agricultural products, such as fruit, vegetables, wine, olive oil, and coffee, and therefore, significantly present in human diet. Caffeic acid has been reported to have a wide variety of biological activities, including antioxidants, antithrombosis, antihypertensive, antifibrosis, antiviral and anti-tumor properties. Caffeic acid can be effectively employed as a natural antioxidant in various food products such as oils. Caffeic acid exhibits potent anticancer effect in HT-1080 cell line and that it may be used as an anticancer agent. Caffeic acid showed neuroprotective action against oxidative and DNA damage produced in the kindling epilepsy model, although they did not produce antiepileptogenic effect in vivo. Caffeic acid was effective in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia. Detected in clinical trial caffeic acid-related adverse events were: mild nausea and elevation of liver enzymes.