Title:A Review on Chemical Profile of Coumarins and their Therapeutic Role in the Treatment of Cancer
VOLUME: 13 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):K. Venkata Sairam, B. M. Gurupadayya, R. S. Chandan, Dattatri K. Nagesha and B. Vishwanathan
Affiliation:Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS University, Sri Shivarathreeswara Nagar, Mysuru -570 015, Karnataka, India.
Keywords:Anticancer, Coumarins, Clinical trials, Breast cancer, Blood and Ovarian cancer Cervical cancer, Colon cancer,
Gastric cancer, Lung cancer, Leukemia cancer, Malignant melanoma, Pancreatic cancer, Prostrate cancer, Renal cell carcinoma.
Abstract:Coumarin class of organic compounds consists of 1,2-benzopyrone ring system as a basic
parent scaffold. These benzopyrones are subdivided into alpha-benzopyrones and gammabenzopyrones;
with coumarin class of compounds belonging to alpha-benzopyrones. Since the last few
years, coumarins were synthesized in many of their derivative forms. Their pharmacological, therapeutic
and biochemical properties depend upon their pattern of substitution. Coumarins exhibit a wide
range of pharmacological activities, which includes anti-diabetic, anti-viral, anti-microbial, anticancer,
anti-oxidant, anti-parasitic, anti-helminthic, anti-proliferative, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive
activities. Among these properties, the present review article compiles the detailed research findings of coumarins
as anti-cancer agents. Research reports reveal that coumarins inhibit human malignant tumor cell lines in vitro and
also show anti-proliferative activity against many mammalian tumors in vivo. Clinical trials conducted on these coumarin
class of compounds showed promising activity against several types of cancer such as breast cancer, lung cancer, malignant
melanoma, prostate cancer and metastatic renal cell carcinoma etc. This review presents a comprehensive and up to
date literature survey on coumarins as anti-cancer agents. Furthermore, a detailed overview of various clinical trials conducted
on coumarin class of compounds tested for various types of malignancies has been described.
