Gallic acid health benefit, uses, supplement information by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Gallic acid is an organic acid found in sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, carob, oak bark, and other plants. Salts and esters of gallic acid are termed gallates.

Benefit
Cardioprotective effect of gallic acid on cardiac troponin-T, cardiac marker enzymes, lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants in experimentally induced myocardial infarction in Wistar rats.
Chem Biol Interact. 2008 Dec 25. Priscilla DH, Prince PS. Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar 608002, Tamil Nadu, India.
This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of gallic acid on cardiac marker enzymes, troponin-T, LDH-isoenzyme pattern, lipid peroxidation products and antioxidant status in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction in male Wistar rats. Male albino Wistar rats were pretreated with gallic acid (15mg/kg) daily for a period of 10 days. After the treatment period, ISO (100mg/kg) was subcutaneously injected to rats at an interval of 24h for 2 days. ISO-induced myocardial damage was indicated by increased activities of marker enzymes such as creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase in serum and the levels of troponin-T in the serum. Increased LDH-isoenzyme bands (LDH-1 and LDH-2) were also observed in serum of ISO-induced rats. In addition to these diagnostic markers, the levels of lipid peroxidation products in plasma and the heart were significantly  increased and the activities of enzymic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase in the heart and non-enzymic antioxidants such as glutathione, vitamin C and E in plasma and the heart were significantly decreased in ISO-induced rats. The level of uric acid in plasma was significantly  increased in ISO-treated rats. Gallic acid pretreatment showed significant protective effect on all the biochemical parameters studied. Histopathological findings of gallic acid pretreated myocardial infarcted heart confirmed the biochemical findings of this study. Thus, gallic acid protects the myocardium against isoproterenol-induced oxidative stress.