Antioxidant Activity of Coumarins and Their Metal Complexes

Ubiquitously present in plant life, coumarins, as a class of phenolic compounds, have multiple applications-in everyday life, in organic synthesis, in medicine and many others. Coumarins are well known for their broad spectrum of physiological effects. The specific structure of the coumarin scaffold involves a conjugated system with excellent charge and electron transport properties. The antioxidant activity of natural coumarins has been a subject of intense study for at least two decades. Significant research into the antioxidant behavior of natural/semi-synthetic coumarins and their complexes has been carried out and published in scientific literature. The authors of this review have noted that, during the past five years, research efforts seem to have been focused on the synthesis and examination of synthetic coumarin derivatives with the aim to produce potential drugs with enhanced, modified or entirely novel effects. As many pathologies are associated with oxidative stress, coumarin-based compounds could be excellent candidates for novel medicinal molecules. The present review aims to inform the reader on some prominent results from investigations into the antioxidant properties of novel coumarin compounds over the past five years.

Automated summary

Coumarins, as a class of phenolic compounds widely found in plants, have diverse applications in various fields, such as everyday life, organic synthesis, and medicine. Their unique structure with excellent charge and electron transport properties makes them well-known for their broad spectrum of physiological effects. In recent years, research efforts have been focused on synthesizing and examining synthetic coumarin derivatives to develop potential drugs with enhanced or novel effects. This review aims to summarize the prominent findings from investigations into the antioxidant properties of novel coumarin compounds over the past five years.