Psoralen (also called psoralene ) is the parent compound in a family of natural products known as furocoumarins . It is structurally related to coumarin by the addition of a fused furan ring, and may be considered as a derivative of umbelliferone . more

Psoralen (also called psoralene ) is the parent compound in a family of natural products known as furocoumarins . It is structurally related to coumarin by the addition of a fused furan ring, and may be considered as a derivative of umbelliferone . Psoralen occurs naturally in the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia , as well as in the common Fig , celery , parsley and West Indian satinwood . It is widely used in PUVA (=Psoralen +UVA) treatment for psoriasis , eczema and vitiligo . Although safe to mammals, it should be used with care since many furocoumarins are extremely toxic to fish, and some are indeed used in streams in Indonesia to catch fish. less