European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences Abstract. – Objectives: Ferula gummosa Boiss is native to central Asia. This plant has traditionally been used in the treatment of many diseases. The antihypoxic and antioxi- dant activities of Ferula gummosa roots were investigated. Material and Methods: 1,1-diphenyl-2- picryl hydrazyl radical (DPPH), nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities, Fe 2+ chelating ability, reducing power and hemoglo- bin-induced linoleic acid peroxidation were used to evaluate antioxidant activities. Antihe- molytic activity was evaluated by H 2 O 2 induced hemolysis in rat erythrocytes. The total amount of phenolic compounds was determined as gal- lic acid equivalents and total flavonoid con- tents were calculated as quercetin equivalents from a calibration curve. Results: The extracts showed moderate an- tioxidant activity in some models. IC 50 for DPPH radical-scavenging activity was 579.6±19.4 μg/ml. The extracts showed weak nitric oxide- scavenging activity between 0.1 and 1.6 mg ml -1 but showed good Fe 2+ chelating ability. IC 50 was 895.5±24.1 μg/ml. The extract also ex- hibited low antioxidant activity in the linoleic acid model but were capable of scavenging hydrogen peroxide in a concentration depen- dent manner. Tested extract show moderate activity in H 2 O 2 induced hemolysis in rat ery- throcytes which was not comparable with vita- min C. Conclusions: F. gummosa Boiss root showed different level antioxidant and antihemolytic ac- tivities. Biological effects may be attributed, at least in part, to the presence of phenols and flavonoids in the extract. Key Words: Antihemolytic activity, Antioxidant activity, DPPH, Ferula gummosa, Flavonoid. Antioxidant activity of hydroalcholic extract of Ferula gummosa Boiss roots M.A. EBRAHIMZADEH 1 *, S.M. NABAVI 1,2 , S.F. NABAVI 1,3 , A.A. DEHPOUR 4 1 Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari (Iran) 2 Department of Biology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar (Iran) 3 Student Research Development Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari (Iran) 4 Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Ghaemshahr Branch (Iran) Corresponding Author: M.A. Ebrahimzadeh, Ph.D; e-mail: zadeh20@yahoo.com Introduction Free radicals are usually short-lived species but they possess a single unpaired electron, ren- dering them highly reactive against biologically important macromolecules including DNA, pro- teins and membrane lipids. To counteract this threat to their integrity, cells have evolved a vari- ety of defense systems based on both water-solu- ble and lipid-soluble antioxidant species, and on antioxidant enzymes. A high proportion of the antioxidant systems of the human body are de- pendent on dietary constituents 1 . Synthetic an- tioxidants such as butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) are used to deceler- ate these processes. However, due to their unsta- ble and highly volatile nature, they have fre- quently brought some questions about their safe- ty and efficiency ever since their first introduc- tion to the food industry 2 . Consequently, the need to identify alternative natural and safe sources of antioxidant arose and the search for safe and nat- ural antioxidants, especially of plant origin, has notably increased in recent years 3 . Ferula (F.) gummosa Boiss. (Apiaceae) is a perennial plant native to central Asia, growing in the northern and western parts of Iran and blooms once in its several years’ life 4 . Nomads of southwest Iran call this plant “Barijeh” and traditionally use its resin for the treatment of diarrhea. They eat a small piece of the resin and believe it to be a very effective anti-diarrheal herbal medicin 5 . In Iran- ian ancient medicine, the gum obtained from the aerial parts of this plant has been used for stom- ach pain, chorea, epilepsy and as a wound-heal- ing remedy 4,6 . In recent years there are some re- ports regarding the central effects of this plant. 2011; 15: 658-664