UPDATED REVIEW ON COUMARIN DERIVATIVES AND THEIR PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

Ajay Garg*, Rohit Kumar, Naveen Kumar

A significant class of naturally occurring secondary metabolites, coumarins are found in many plant components, such as roots, leaves, seeds, and fruits. Coumarins are categorised into various classes, including simple coumarins, furanocoumarins, pyranocoumarins, phenyl coumarins, and bicoumarins. They are structurally defined by a benzopyran-2-one nucleus and display a variety of oxygenation patterns. Due to their enormous biological potential, a great deal of study has been done on their synthesis using both traditional and contemporary methods, such as Pechmann, Perkin, Knoevenagel, and Wittig reactions, as well as green and catalytic techniques. Numerous pharmacological properties, such as antibacterial, anticoagulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperpigmentation effects, are exhibited by coumarin derivatives. These substances work by inhibiting enzymes, scavenging free radicals, and modifying cellular signalling pathways, among other processes. In addition to its uses in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, its wide therapeutic potential emphasises its significance in medicinal chemistry and drug development. This article offers a thorough examination of coumarins, emphasising their varied structural categories, including furanocoumarins and pyranocoumarins, as well as contemporary synthetic techniques such as Pechmann, Perkin, and Knoevenagel reactions. Moreover, it examines their considerable pharmacological potential, elucidating their functions as antibacterial, anticoagulant, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agents in medicinal chemistry and drug development.