Quantitative structure-toxicity relationship study of some natural and synthetic coumarins using retention parameters

Four lipophilicity descriptors (R-M(0), b, C-0 and PCl) for twelve coumarin derivatives were determined by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography in order to analyze the descriptor which best describes the lipophilicity of the investigated coumarins. Moreover, possible chemical toxicity of coumarins, expressed as the probability of a compound to cause organ-specific health effects, was calculated using ACD/Tox Suite program. The quantitative relationships between toxicity and molecular descriptors, including experimentally determined lipophilicity descriptors obtained in current study were investigated using partial least square regression. The best models were obtained for kidney and liver health effects. Quantitative structure-toxicity relationship models revealed the importance of electric polarization descriptors, size descriptors and lipophilicity descriptors. The obtained models were used for the selection of the structural features of the compounds that are significantly affecting their absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity.