A new bioactive compound from the roots of Petasites hybridus

► A new benzofuran derivative (BF) has been isolated from the roots of P. hybridus. ► The procedure of extraction is simple and the yield of extracted compound is high. ► BF showed moderate inhibitory activity on human breast cancer MCF-7. ► The interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and DNA with BF were studied.