Coumarins (hydroxy-coumarins and furanocoumarins)

2.3 Coumarins

Coumarin and its derivatives, such as: hydroxy-coumarins and furanocoumarins are present in a plethora of medicinal plants. However, the most common and the most widespread plant coumarin is the parent compound i.e., coumarin itself, which is reported to occur in more than twenty-seven plant families viz., Caprifoliaceae, Leguminosae, Oleaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae, Umbelliferae to name a few such families.

In a broader sense, the coumarins may be classified into three major categories, namely:

(a)Coumarins,

(b)Hydroxycoumarins, and

(c)Furanocoumarins.

Source:Pharmacognosy And Pharmacobiotechnology By Ashutosh Kar