Compound Monograph
Scopoletin
Scopoletin — a coumarin occurring widely across medicinal plants, found in the leaves and roots of several herbs in this database.
Classification
Scopoletin is a coumarin, part of the phenolics class. Antioxidant compounds built around one or more phenol rings — the flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, coumarins, and pigments behind much of a plant's protective chemistry.
Where Does It Come From? (8)
Scopoletin is a naturally occurring coumarin, found in Stinging Nettle, Marshmallow, Passionflower and 5 other sources. It is well tolerated orally (low toxicity).
Research & Evidence
Scopoletin is a coumarin — a member of the benzopyrone family of plant phenolics — that turns up across a wide range of medicinal species. On the source-herb pages in this database it is recorded as a phytochemical constituent rather than as an isolated compound with its own pharmacology, so the evidence here describes where it occurs:
- In stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), scopoletin (explicitly described as a coumarin) is reported in both the leaf and the root, the latter alongside sterols, lignans and polyphenols 1,2Reference 1The healing power of rainforest herbs: A guide to understanding and using herbal medicinalsReference 2Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy.
- In stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), scopoletin is listed among the plant’s catalogue of flavonoids and related compounds 3Reference 3The healing power of rainforest herbs: A guide to understanding and using herbal medicinals (pp.
- In cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), the coumarin fraction of the bark is represented by scopoletin 4Reference 4Medical herbalism: The science and practice of herbal medicine.
- It is also catalogued among the constituents of marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) leaf and passionflower (Passiflora incarnata).
None of the source monographs attribute a specific isolated activity to scopoletin, so this is an honest occurrence summary rather than a claim of demonstrated effect. The section will be expanded if compound-specific research is added to the database.
Toxicity & Safety
Scopoletin occurs as a minor constituent of the herbs listed above — nettle, marshmallow, passionflower and stevia — all of which are themselves regarded as low in toxicity and suitable for ordinary use, with none of the source pages raising a specific safety concern about scopoletin. As a general note, coumarins as a class can be relevant to people taking anticoagulant medication, so concentrated coumarin-containing preparations are best used thoughtfully alongside such drugs; at the trace levels present in these whole-herb sources, no such caution is flagged in the monographs.
References
- Taylor, L. (2005). The healing power of rainforest herbs: A guide to understanding and using herbal medicinals. Garden City Park, NY: Square One Publishers.
- Bone K, Mills S. (2013). Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Elsevier health. China. (Pg. 760-771).
- Taylor, L. (2005). The healing power of rainforest herbs: A guide to understanding and using herbal medicinals (pp. 214-216). New York: Square One Publishers.
- Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: The science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.