Daphnoretin as a multifunctional natural biscoumarin: Chemistry, biological activities, and mechanistic insights

Natural products play a crucial role in the discovery of new medications and sustainable health innovations. Daphnoretin (DAP) is a naturally occurring biscoumarin found in different plant families. It has emerged as a potent phytochemical with diverse bioactivities, including anticancer, antiviral, antidiabetic, antigout, antimicrobial, nematocidal, anti-inflammatory, and kinase-modulating activities. The current review provides an in-depth overview of DAP, including its botanical sources, isolation and separation techniques, identification, structural characterization, and analytical and pharmacokinetic studies. This review discusses the reported pharmacological activities of these compounds, focusing on the underlying molecular mechanisms and the signaling pathways involved. It also summarizes the current knowledge of its bioactivities, with a special focus on its anticancer potential and the underlying mechanisms. Collectively, the available evidence not only underscores DAP's potential as a promising lead compound in drug discovery for cancer, viral infections, and metabolic and neurological disorders but also supports multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). This work also highlights future directions and main research gaps that could facilitate the translation of DAP into clinically relevant applications.