Umbelliprenin from Ferula persica roots inhibits the red pigment production in Serratia marcescens.

The chloroform extract of Ferula persica var. persica roots was found to inhibit red pigment production of Serratia marcescens. A bioguided fractionation study by preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) detected a fraction (Rf = 0.71, petroleum ether/EtOAc, 2:1 v/v), which was effective on depigmentation of Serratia marcescens. Using conventional spectroscopy methods, the active fraction was identified as umbelliprenin. Neither the chloroform extract nor the isolated umbelliprenin fraction showed any antibacterial activity against the test strain at a certain concentration. In contrast, they exhibited depigmentation zones on culture plates.