Integrated In Vitro and In Silico Characterization of 5‐Hydroxyferulic Acid: Antioxidant, Anti‐Inflammatory, Anti‐Hemolytic, and Cytotoxic Potential

Abstract In the pursuit of novel antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory agents, we investigated 5‐hydroxyferulic acid (5‐OHFA), a hydroxylated derivative of the well‐known phenolic compound ferulic acid (FA). This study aimed to determine whether structural modification enhances the biological activity of FA. To this end, both compounds were subjected to a series of in vitro antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and Fe(II)‐chelating) and anti‐inflammatory evaluations, complemented by in silico predictions. 5‐OHFA consistently exhibited superior antioxidant capacity, with significantly lower IC50 values than