Coumarins
Coumarin and its derivatives are fragrant organic chemicals and natural substances found in many plants. Coumarins are lactones of 2-hydroxycinnamic acid formed via the shikimic acid pathway. Except for a few rare cases, including coumarin itself which is unsubstituted, all plant coumarins contain hydroxy or methoxy groups in position 7. Coumarins possess a variety of biological properties, including antimicrobial, antiviral, antiinflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory activity.