Biological activity of Prangos uloptera DC. roots, a medicinal plant from Iran.

Prangos uloptera DC. (Apiaceae) is indigenous to Iran. It has been used from ancient times for treatment of leukoplakia, digestive disorders and healing scars. In this article, we focus on the various biological screening techniques currently being used to evaluate the biological effects of the plant root extracts. Our results show that dichloromethane (DCM) extract exhibited high-cytotoxic effects on hela cell line, and high antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. All of the plant root extracts, n-hexane, DCM and methanol extracts, exhibited modest antioxidant and high-phytotoxic properties. It is assumed that the high biological potential of P. uloptera is related to the presence of coumarins in the plant roots.