Bergapten is a natural furocoumarin, also known as 5-methoxypsoralen, and its 
medicinal value has been paid more and more attention. By sorting out the 
pharmacological literature of bergapten, we found that bergapten has a wide 
range of pharmacological effects, including neuroprotection, organ protection, 
anticancer, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, and antidiabetes effects. 
However，bergapten has complex impacts on the hepatic metabolic enzyme. Moreover, 
pharmacokinetic studies showed that bergapten has higher absolute 
bioavailability and can cross the blood-brain barrier and has a great potential 
for treating brain disease, but the mechanism needs further clarification to 
make greater use of its ability to treat brain diseases. Furthermore, the 
phototoxicity of bergapten combined with ultraviolet light has always been 
mentioned. In view of its wide range of pharmacological activities, bergapten is 
expected to be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of diabetes and 
diabetes-induced osteoporosis, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and 
cancer. However, further studies are needed to elucidate its molecular 
mechanisms and targets. The phototoxicity of bergapten as a side effect should 
be further avoided. On the other hand, the photoactivation of bergapten in the 
anticancer aspect can be better utilized.