Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 22, 2026

Daphnetin

Daphnetin is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C9H6O4. It has been isolated from plants of the genus Daphne. It has also been found in Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile).

Last revised
Jun 22, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
434 w
Citations
10
Source
Daphnetin
source ↗
Names
IUPAC name
7,8-Dihydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one
Other names
7,8-Dihydroxycoumarin
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.006.939
EC Number
  • 207-632-8
KEGG
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C9H6O4/c10-6-3-1-5-2-4-7(11)13-9(5)8(6)12/h1-4,10,12H
    Key: ATEFPOUAMCWAQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • C1=CC(=C(C2=C1C=CC(=O)O2)O)O
Properties
C9H6O4
Molar mass 178.143 g·mol−1
Melting point 256 °C (493 °F; 529 K)1
Hazards
GHS labelling:[1]
GHS07: Exclamation mark
Warning
H315, H319
P264, P264+P265, P280, P302+P352, P305+P351+P338, P321, P332+P317, P337+P317, P362+P364
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Daphnetin is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C9H6O4. It has been isolated from plants of the genus Daphne.23 It has also been found in Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile).4

It a crystalline solid with a melting point of 256 °C.1 It is soluble in boiling water.1

Daphnetin can undergo enzymatic glycosylation to yield its 7-O-glucoside which is called daphnin (daphnetin 7-β-D-glucopyranoside). The reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme O-dihydroxycoumarin 7-O-glucosyltransferase. The glucose unit is transferred from UDP-glucose, with uridine diphosphate (UDP) as byproduct.56

 
 
Rightward reaction arrow with minor product(s) to top right
 
 
 


Daphnetin shows several neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects on the inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB mediated inflammatory signaling pathway. They also could inhibit the IKKs/IkBa/NF-κB, AKT, and the Src/FAK/ERK1/2 multi-target medication signaling pathway for anti-angiogenesis and cancer.7

Daphnetin has been reported to be a strong sensitizer, which means that this compound and its glycosidic derivatives (e.g. daphnin) can be a cause of allergic reactions.4

References

References

  1. Merck Index (11th ed.). p. 2818. 2816. Daphnetin.
  2. Ueno, K.; Saito, N. (1976). "Daphnetin, isolated from Daphne odora". Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry. 32 (3): 946–948. Bibcode:1976AcCrB..32..946U. doi:10.1107/S0567740876004275.
  3. Brown, Stewart A. (1986). "Biosynthesis of Daphnetin in Daphne mezereum L". Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C. 41 (3): 247–252. doi:10.1515/znc-1986-0301.
  4. Petruľová-Poracká, Veronika; Repčák, Miroslav; Vilková, Mária; Imrich, Ján (2013-11-01). "Coumarins of Matricaria chamomilla L.: Aglycones and glycosides". Food Chemistry. 141 (1): 54–59. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.03.004. ISSN 0308-8146. PMID 23768326.
  5. Ibrahim, Ragai K.; Boulay, Bernard (1980-05-01). "Purification and some properties of UDP-glucose:o-dihydroxycoumarin7-O-glucosyltransferase from tobacco cell cultures". Plant Science Letters. 18 (2): 177–184. doi:10.1016/0304-4211(80)90048-6. ISSN 0304-4211.
  6. Ueno, Katsuhiko; Sato, Mitsuhiko; Saito, Norio (1983-06-01). "The Crystal and Molecular Structure of Daphnin Dihydrate: 7-(β-D-Glucopyranosyloxy)-8-hydroxycoumarin Dihydrate". Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan. 56 (6): 1577–1580. doi:10.1246/bcsj.56.1577. ISSN 0009-2673.
  7. Liu, Jia; Chen, Qianxue; Jian, Zhihong; Xiong, Xiaoxing; Shao, Lingmin; Jin, Tong; Zhu, Xiqun; Wang, Lei (2016-12-29). "Daphnetin Protects against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Mice via Inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway". BioMed Research International. 2016 e2816056. doi:10.1155/2016/2816056. ISSN 2314-6133. PMC 5227117. PMID 28119924.