Coumarins in Food and Methods of Their Determination

Abstract

Coumarin is a natural product with aromatic and fragrant characteristics, widespread in the entire plant kingdom. It is found in different plant sources such as vegetables, spices, fruits, and medicinal plants including all parts of the plants—fruits, roots, stems and leaves. Coumarin is found in high concentrations in certain types of cinnamon, which is one of the most frequent sources for human exposure to this substance. However, human exposure to coumarin has not been strictly determined, since there are no systematic measurements of consumption of cinnamon-containing foods. The addition of pure coumarin to foods is not allowed, since large amounts of coumarin can be hepatotoxic. However, according to the new European aroma law, coumarin may be present in foods only naturally or as a flavoring obtained from natural raw materials (as is the case with cinnamon). In this paper, the overview of the current European regulations on coumarin levels in food is presented, along with the most common coumarin food sources, with a special emphasis on cinnamon-containing food. Human exposure to coumarins in food is also reviewed, as well as the methods for determination and separation of coumarin and its derivatives in food.

Effect of Citrofortunella microcarpa (Calamansi) Peelings on Whole Blood Coagulation Using Blood Samples from Albino Mice

“…The results of this study confirmed the findings from the previous studies on Citrus family. As evidenced by the previous studies, fruits from the Citrus, especially the peels [6], demonstrated maximal anticoagulant effect, which recommend that they have anti-thrombin component and could counteract thrombosis assuming a cardioprotective job [5,7]. As a result, excessive blood clotting can be prevented, which thereby prevents clots to travel to the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and extremities, which can cause heart attack, stroke, damage to the organs, or death [7,19].…”

“…Citrus, as a member of the Rutaceae family, can synthesize both coumarins and furanocoumarins [3]. Previous studies revealed that citrus peel contains larger diversity and higher concentrations of coumarin or furanocoumarin than the pulp of the same fruits [5,6,7]. Coumarin derivatives are used as oral anticoagulants that inhibit vitamin K from functioning as a cofactor in the hepatic synthesis of the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors II, VII, IX, and X [7,8].…”

“…They are found at high levels in some essential oils, such as cinnamon bark oil, cassia leaf oil, and lavender oil [10]. Aside from Citrus fruits, coumarin is also found in other fruits like bilberry and cloudberry, as well as in other foods and beverages such as chicory, green tea, and herbal tea [6,11]. Most coumarins are found in higher plants, with the richest sources being the Rutaceae.…”

From Preclinical Stroke Models to Humans: Polyphenols in the Prevention and Treatment of Stroke

“…Coumarin and coumarins, its derivatives, can be found in many plants, including tonka beans (where they are present in high concentration), Cinnamon cassia and cherry blossom of the genus Prunus [ 294 ]. The use of coumarins in the prevention of ischemic stroke is based on the anticoagulant or antiplatelet effects exhibited by many of these molecules [ 295 , 296 , 297 , 298 ].…”

Synthetic Routes to Coumarin(Benzopyrone)-Fused Five-Membered Aromatic Heterocycles Built on the α-Pyrone Moiety. Part 1: Five-Membered Aromatic Rings with One Heteroatom

“…Coumarins display a broad range of biological and pharmacological activities, [ 5 , 6 ] such as antiviral [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], anticancer [ 11 , 12 , 13 ], antimicrobial [ 14 , 15 ], and antioxidant [ 16 , 17 , 18 ] activities. On the other hand, coumarin represents an ingredient in perfumes [ 19 ], cosmetics [ 20 ], and as industrial additives [ 21 , 22 ]. Furthermore, coumarins play a pivotal role in science and technology as fluorescent sensors, mainly due to their interesting light-emissive characteristics, which are often responsive to the environment [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”