Coumarins from Rutaceae: Chemical diversity and biological activities

Abstract

Rutaceae is a family expressed by approximately 2100 species distributed in 154 genera widespread in tropical and temperate regions of Australasia, America, and South Africa. Substantial species of this family are employed as folk medicines. The literature describes the Rutaceae family as a great source of natural and bioactive compounds like terpenoids, flavonoids, and, especially, coumarins. To data, 655 coumarins were isolated and identified from Rutaceae in the past twelve years and, most of them, showed different biological and pharmacological activities. There are studies with coumarins from Rutaceae indicating that these compounds showed activity against cancer, inflammation, infectious diseases, and in the treatment of endocrinal and gastrointestinal conditions. Although coumarins are considered versatile bioactive molecules, until the present, there is no compiled information about coumarins from the Rutaceae family demonstrating the potency of these compounds in all dimensions and chemical similarities among the genera. The present review covers the relevant studies dealing with isolation of Rutaceae coumarins from 2010 until 2022 and outlines the current data on pharmacological activities these coumpounds. Additionally, the chemical disposition and similarity among Rutaceae genera are also statistically discussed employing PCA and HCA methods.

Keywords: Coumarins; Pharmacological activities; Phytochemistry; Rutaceae.