Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal and incurable lung disease. Morin, a natural product with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, could reduce lung inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and liver fibrosis in previous studies. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifibrotic activity of morin in the pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice. Methods: Pulmonary fibrosis was induced by the intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (3 mg/kg) in C57Bl/6J mice. Morin (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, p. o. ) was given to mice from day0to 21 after bleomycin administration. The mice were sacrificed on day 21 to measure the total number of cells, the percentage of leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung hydroxyproline content, lung index, and oxidative stress markers. Histopathological changes were evaluated by the microscopic examination of sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’ s trichrome. Results: Our data showed that treatment with morin significantly attenuated the infiltration of inflammatory cells, hydroxyproline content, lung index, and oxidative stress that were elevated in fibrotic lungs. In addition, morin could reduce the pathological changes induced by bleomycin. Conclusions: Based on the study, morin, probably by its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, can attenuate pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice.

Background: Depression is one of the most common mood disorders that greatly disrupt the lives of affected individuals. Due to the numerous side effects associated with chemical antidepressants, researchers have turned their attention to natural compounds. This study investigated the effects of Morin on Reserpine-induced depression in mice. Methods: In this study, 48 male mice were divided into six groups. The Vehicle group received normal saline, while the negative and positive control groups received Reserpine (5 mg/kg) and Reserpine (5 mg/kg) + Fluoxetine (20 mg/kg), respectively. Eighteen hours after Reserpine injection, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg Morin were administered to treatment groups. Forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), and light-dark box tests were done as behavioral tests. Finally, brain tissue was isolated. The activity of Superoxide Dismutase enzyme and the levels of Reduced Glutathione and Malondialdehyde in the brain were measured. Results: Morin could significantly increase the duration of activity in FST and TST in Reserpine-treated mice. In the light and dark box tests, Morin significantly decreased the latency to the first entry to the light chamber while increasing the number of entries and total time to last in the light chamber in Reserpine-treated mice. In the brain, Morin significantly enhanced the activity of the Superoxide Dismutase enzyme and the amount of “Reduced Glutathione” while reducing the levels of Malondialdehyde. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that Morin has a dose-dependent antidepressant effect by increasing the antioxidant capacity in the brains of rats.

Background: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a tetrameric enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of pyruvate to L-lactate. The importance of this enzyme is because LDH isoenzymes are involved in cancer, heart, and liver diseases. Inhibition of this enzyme can help prevent and treat different diseases. Morin is a flavonoid found in the Moraceae family and scopoletin is a coumarin found in Scopolia genus. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of morin and scopoletin as two natural products on the activity and structure of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme. Methods: Morin and scopoletin were examined for inhibition of the activity of LDH in 100mMsodium phosphate buffer pH 7. 5, at room temperature using UV-V spectrophotometry. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize protein structural changes in the presence of morin and scopoletin. Results: Km and Vmax of LDH for pyruvate were 11. 69 mM and 1. 258 mM/min, respectively. The kinetic results showed that morin and scopoletin are LDH inhibitors. The Ki values of morin and scopoletin were determined as 1. 78  M and 0. 8  M, respectively, using a secondary plot. Fluorescence intensity quenching and red shift of themaximumwavelength of emission in a concentrationdependent manner showed that morin and scopoletin bind to LDH and affect its structure. Conclusions: The results suggest that morin and scopoletin bind to LDH, influence its conformation and inhibit its activity. Scopoletin showed more effective inhibition of LDH activity and it can be a promising candidate in the field of tumor metabolism inhibitors.