Morus alba L. Plant: Bioactive Compounds and Potential as a Functional Food Ingredient

Abstract

Morus alba L. (M. alba) is a highly adaptable plant that is extensively incorporated in many traditional and Ayurveda medications. Various parts of the plant, such as leaves, fruits, and seeds, possess nutritional and medicinal value. M. alba has abundant phytochemicals, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavonols, anthocyanins, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and volatile aromatic compounds, indicating its excellent pharmacological abilities. M. alba also contains high nutraceutical values for protein, carbohydrates, fiber, organic acids, vitamins, and minerals, as well as a low lipid value. However, despite its excellent biological properties and nutritional value, M. alba has not been fully considered as a potential functional food ingredient. Therefore, this review reports on the nutrients and bioactive compounds available in M. alba leaves, fruit, and seeds; its nutraceutical properties, functional properties as an ingredient in foodstuffs, and a microencapsulation technique to enhance polyphenol stability. Finally, as scaling up to a bigger production plant is needed to accommodate industrial demand, the study and limitation on an M. alba upscaling process is reviewed.

Secondary Metabolism and Hormone Response Reveal the Molecular Mechanism of Triploid Mulberry (Morus Alba L.) Trees Against Drought

“…Mulberry also has considerable applied value in the pharmaceuticals industry (De Padua Lucio et al, 2018), and its growth in moderate soil moisture can change the content of secondary metabolites in leaves, many of which possess medicinal value. Various parts (root, stem or branch, leaf and fruit) of morus could be used in therapeutic drugs (Gryn-Rynko et al, 2016;Yin et al, 2017;Chen et al, 2021). Extracts of Morus alba has been applied to manage body weight, control appetite, and improve metabolic syndromes (Yimam et al, 2019).…”

Effects of Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Leaf Extracts on Growth, Immune Response, and Antioxidant Functions in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

“…Mulberry leaf plays a fundamental role in the traditional silk industry (Chan et al, 2016). Many studies have shown that mulberry leaf has good palatability and is rich in nutrients, with especially high in crude protein content and a variety of fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, bioactive substances and phytonutrients (Chan et al, 2016;Chen et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2019a). Consequently, mulberry leaf has been successfully used as a dietary protein supplement in aquaculture and in poultry and livestock farming (Ali et al, 2020;Kandylis et al, 2009;Kaviraj et al, 2013;Kong et al, 2019;Lin et al, 2017;Liu et al, 2019b;.…”

Morusflavone, a New Therapeutic Candidate for Prostate Cancer by CYP17A1 Inhibition: Exhibited by Molecular Docking and Dynamics Simulation

“…The Morus alba L., plant contains various phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, volatile oils, tannins etc. The majority of the constituents isolated from M. alba have been reported for their biological properties [3][4][5][6][7][8]. However, the cytotoxicity of M. alba or its isolated compounds has been tested on a variety of human cancer cells, including lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, hepatocarcinoma, colorectal and cervical cancers [7][8][9][10][11].…”

“…The majority of the constituents isolated from M. alba have been reported for their biological properties [3][4][5][6][7][8]. However, the cytotoxicity of M. alba or its isolated compounds has been tested on a variety of human cancer cells, including lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, hepatocarcinoma, colorectal and cervical cancers [7][8][9][10][11]. In addition, herbal constituents, such as Vinca alkaloids and S-allylcysteine, have been found to be useful for disease amelioration [10,12].…”