A few naturally occurring prenyl- and renyloxycoumarins and several new related synthetic derivatives were evaluated as inhibitors of squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC), a useful model enzyme, to predict their interactions with oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC). Umbelliprenin-10',11'-monoepoxide (IC50 2.5 muM) and the corresponding 6',7'-10', 11' diepoxide (IC50 1.5 muM) were the most active enzyme inhibitors. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.