7-Ethoxycoumarin is metabolized by many cytochrome P450 enzymes active in foreign compound metabolism and has been used as a prototypic substrate to monitor P450 (P450) activity in both hepatic and extrahepatic tissues.
The in vitro perfusion of the human placental lobule with 7-ethoxycoumarin gives 7-hydroxycoumarin, and perfusion with androstenedione gives the conversion products, estrone, estradiol, and testosterone. The human placenta has only a limited capacity for the metabolism of xenobiotics.
Use of 7-Ethoxycoumarin to Monitor Multiple Enzymes in the Human CYP1, CYP2, and CYP3 Families