When the heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium Weissella cibaria JCM12495 was cultivated anaerobically in medium supplemented with 3-hydroxy-4-methoxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid), all the added ferulic acid was converted to 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propionic acid (HMPA, dihydroferulic acid) via reduction of the propenoic acid side chain. Complete conversion to HMPA was achieved within 16 h, even at an initial ferulic acid concentration of 10 mM. Concurrently, the production of typi