Title:Anticancer Potential of Coumarin and its Derivatives
Volume: 21
Issue: 19
Author(s): Narayan Bhattarai, Anupa A. Kumbhar, Yuba Raj Pokharel and Paras Nath Yadav*
Affiliation:
- Central Department of Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Keywords:
Anticancer activity, coumarin, coumarin-metal complexes, furanocoumarin, pyranocoumarin, coumarin-triazole.
Abstract: Coumarins are found in higher plants like Rutaceae and Umbelliferae and essential oils of
cinnamon bark, cassia leaf, and lavender oil. Coumarin compounds show different biological properties,
viz antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-HIV, antihypertension, anticoagulant,
anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesics, antidiabetic, anti-depressive, and other bioactive
properties. Coumarin and its derivatives possess anticancer activity against different types of cancers
such as prostate, renal, breast, laryngeal, lung, colon, CNS, leukemia, malignant melanoma. In this review,
current developments of coumarin-based anticancer agents viz simple coumarin, furanocoumarin,
pyranocoumarin, pyrone-substituted coumarin, and their important derivatives have been discussed. The
coumarin-triazole, coumarin-chalcone, coumarin-thiosemicarbazone derivatives, and coumarin-metal
complexes have been found more potent than coumarin. Hence, further study and structural improvement
on coumarin and its derivatives may lead to the design and development of more potent anticancer
agents.
