Morin hydrate is a plant-derived and antioxidant-based hepatoprotector.

Morin hydrate, or simply morin, is shown here to be an effective hepatoprotector in vitro and in vivo. Between 0.25-2.0 mM, morin prolongs survival of rat hepatocytes against free radical damage triggered by xanthine oxidase-hypoxanthine, and substantially better than equimolar concentrations of Trolox (a vitamin E analogue), mannitol, and ascorbate. In a rat model of 80 min ischemia-24 h reperfusion in the liver, infusion of morin at 2.5, 5.0 and 10 mumol/Kg body weight before reperfusion reduces liver necrosis in the placebo control by 51.48 +/- 9.94%, 66.55 +/- 2.18%, and 79.37 +/- 11.03%, respectively, for n = 6 per group. Mechanistically, morin acts in a two-pronged manner: as a preventive antioxidant by partially inhibiting xanthine oxidase and partly as a curative antioxidant by scavenging oxyradicals. The role of morin as an effective free radical scavenger is further evidenced by its ability to protect human red cell membrane from peroxidative attack better than ascorbate, Trolox, and mannitol. Collectively, our data demonstrate that morin is an effective hepatoprotector, both in cultured cells and in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion.