Sunscreening and Photosensitizing Properties of Coumarins and their Derivatives

Coumarin and its derivatives belong to an important group of natural compounds with diverse biological properties. They are found in vegetables and plants and have been extensively investigated for various applications in pharmacology, medicine and cosmetics. The coumarins are lactones of hydroxycinnamic acids with photoprotective effect, the furanocoumarins (coumarins with furan ring) have photosensitizing properties and are often used for the treatment of skin diseases such as vitiligo and psoriasis. As cosmetic ingredients, coumarin derivatives are well known in fragrances, but have also been identified as UV absorbers, with photo-oxidation, antioxidant and photosensitizing properties also being reported. In this minireview we focused on photoprotective and photosensitizing effects of coumarins.