In laboratory studies, certain ancestral plant roots have been examined for their bioactive compounds, including glucosinolates, saponins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. These naturally occurring compounds have been studied for how they interact with oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular signaling.
One 2017 study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention looked at root extracts from a well-known ancestral tree and tested them on several cell lines in controlled laboratory conditions. The study observed selective effects on some abnormal cell lines, along with measurements related to apoptosis, which is the body’s natural process of removing cells that are no longer functioning properly.
But that is not the full picture. These findings came from concentrated extracts used in test tubes, not from ordinary food use in people. Research like this is important, but it does not mean the root is a treatment for any condition.
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