Osthole, a Coumarin from Cnidium monnieri: A Review on Its Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms

Osthole, a coumarin compound mainly derived from Cnidium monnieri (L.), has attracted much interest from the scientific community owing to its multiple therapeutic properties. However, its pharmacological mechanism, pharmacokinetics, and toxicological effects are far from clear. Furthermore, the potential drug delivery platforms of osthole remain to be comprehensively delineated. The present review aimed to systematically summarize the most up-to-date information related to pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and safety issues related to osthole, and discuss the investigations of novel drug delivery platforms. The information herein discussed was retrieved from authoritative databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and so on, reviewing information published up until February of 2024. New evidence shows that osthole induces a sequence of therapeutic actions and has a moderate absorption rate and rapid metabolic characteristics. In addition, this phytoconstituent possesses potential hepatotoxicity, and caution should be exercised against the risk of the drug combination. Furthermore, given its needy solubility in aqueous medium and non-organizational targeting, novel drug delivery methods have been designed to overcome these shortcomings. Given the properties of osthole, its therapeutic benefits ought to be elucidated in a greater array of comprehensive research studies, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these benefits should be explored.