What is Coumarin used for?
It’s quite versatile is Coumarin. In its natural state the plants that contain it seem to use it as some sort of pesticide. Us humans use it for dye, fragrances (it’s very big in the cosmetics industry), flavourings and rodent poison. Medically it is also popular as it has the following properties: anti-coagulant (especially warfarin), blood thinning, anti-fungal, anti-tumour, antineoplastic. It is a suspected carcinogenic and is therefore no longer an ingredient in cigarettes.
