Umbelliprenin in Food and Medicinal Plants: Phytochemical Occurrence, Biosynthesis, Analytical Approaches, and Biological Activities

ABSTRACT Umbelliprenin (7‐farnesyloxycoumarin) is an oxyprenylated coumarin that has gained increasing attention in recent years due to its distinctive chemical structure, restricted yet significant botanical distribution (mainly Ferula spp.), and wide range of reported biological activities. Once regarded as a relatively minor secondary metabolite confined to a few medicinal plants, umbelliprenin is now recognized as a characteristic constituent of several taxa within the Apiaceae and Rutaceae families, including species that are consumed as foods, spices, or flavoring agents and others that occupy central positions in traditional medicine systems. The presence of a farnesyl side chain attached to the umbelliferone core confers pronounced lipophilicity, which in turn strongly influences extraction behavior, chromatographic properties, stability, membrane interactions, and biological effects. Over the past two decades, a substantial body of literature has explored the pharmacological potential of umbelliprenin, particularly its anticancer activity, often attributing these effects to modulation of apoptosis, cell‐cycle control, and key signaling pathways such as NF‐κB, Wnt/β‐catenin, Akt/mTOR, TGF‐β, and Notch. However, enthusiasm for these findings has not always been matched by rigorous consideration of biosynthesis, variability in natural occurrence, processing stability in food matrices, realistic exposure levels, or safety. This review provides an extensive and critical synthesis of current knowledge on umbelliprenin, integrating phytochemical, analytical, biological, ecological, and food science perspectives, and identifies priorities for future research aimed at bridging the gap between laboratory observations and practical relevance.