4-Vinylphenol is the metabolite of p-coumaric and ferulic acid by lactic acid bacteria in wine found in Hedyotis diffusa Willd. 4-Vinylphenol induces apoptosis in vivo.

4-Vinylphenol (100 µg/mL) notably enhances caspase 3 expression, effectively making CSC-enriched MDAMB-231 cells more prone to apoptosis. At concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/mL, it dramatically inhibits cell proliferation in these cells. Furthermore, 4-Vinylphenol at a range of 12.5-200 µg/mL substantially decreases cell viability in parental MDA-MB-231 cells, with an IC50 value determined at 109 µg/mL. At lower doses (0.15, 0.3 µg/mL), it diminishes sphere formation and vimentin expression in CSCs, indicative of its potential in targeting breast cancer. Notably, 4-Vinylphenol cuts down ALDH1A1 expression by half in CSC-enriched MDA-MB-231 cells[1].