Contact with plant parts containing bergapten (and other linear furanocoumarins) followed by exposure to ultraviolet light may lead to phytophotodermatitis.

[6] Bergapten serves to have the skin absorb more light, and pigmentary diseases like vitiligo (leukodermia) and psoriasis have treatments involving furanocoumarins often in conjunction with sun exposure or solar radiation.

[4] Bergapten was shown to elicit certain skin reactions in order to even out pigmentation lightening for vitiligo patients depending on various factors like the susceptibility of the subject, the dosage, and the humidity, but the effects may be inconsistent.

[7] With psoriasis, bergapten has been valued as an oral photochemotherapy treatment for its efficacy and lack of phototoxic and drug-insensitive reactions.

[8] It has been shown to be a valuable alternative to 8-methoxypsoralen due to the relative lack of side effects during treatment like erythma, pruritus, and nausea.

[10] Bergapten has been shown to have anti-tumoral effects, like its ability to induce the autophagic process in breast cancer cells.

Most syntheses of linear furanocoumarins involve starting with a central aromatic unit and adding two heterocyclic rings.

The final step was to remove the iodine protective group via Pd(OAc)2 to ultimately produce bergapten (product 9) with 90% yield.