Biological and chemical insights of Morina persica L.: A source of bioactive compounds with multifunctional properties

Morina persica L. has weak rosy smell flowers that together with aerial parts are infused or decocted and used as a functional tea. It is a representative of the Anatolian traditional medicine and is used for the treatment of cold. Biological and chemical fingerprints of different extracts (methanolic, acetone and water) of M. persica were investigated. Antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and mutagenic/antimutagenic effects were evaluated for biological profiling. Rutin, chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids were detected as dominant compounds. Generally, the methanolic and acetone extracts had strong antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, antimicrobial and antimutagenic effects. Additionally, all extracts showed remarkable inhibitory effects on HeLa cells at 100 µg/mL. Furthermore, possible interactions between rutin, the dominant phenolic compound in M. persica and the tested enzymes were assessed by molecular docking. Results indicate that M. persica could be considered as a natural source of high-valued functional ingredients for further use in healthful formulations.