Background and purpose: Currently medicinal plants as immunomodulator or antimicrobial agents have gained interests in pharmaceutical researches. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibacterial activity, mutagenicity and proliferator effect of different parts of seven species of Artemisia genus on human lymphocyte cells of methanolic extracts.

Materials and methods: In this experimental study the plant materials were collected, identified, air dried, and powdered. Then, the plant materials were extracted by methanol using maceration method. Antibacterial activity was determined by disk diffusion method. Also, mutagenic and proliferative activities of the extracts were evaluated by Ames test and MTT assay, respectively.

Results: None of the species showed mutagenic activity. The extracts from the flowers and roots in all tested species showed high antibacterial and proliferative activities. Artimisia vulgaris and A. sieberi had the most and least antibacterial activity, respectively. On the other hand, A. khorasanica and A. deserti showed the highest and lowest proliferative effects on human lymphocyte cells, respectively.

Conclusion: In this investigation none of the species showed mutagenic activity. We also observed significant antibacterial and proliferative activities in flower and root extracts.