Effect of Morus alba against Hyperglycemic and Hyperlipidemic Activities in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Nephropathy

The Possibility of Using Fruit-Bearing Plants of Temperate Climate in the Treatment and Prevention of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most dangerous metabolic diseases. The incidence of this disease continues to increase and is often associated with severe complications. Plants and natural plant products with a healing effect have been successfully used in the treatment of many disease entities since the beginning of the history of herbalism and medicine. At present, great emphasis is placed on the biodiversity of crops and the replacement of the monoculture production system of popular temperate climate plants, such as apple, pear, plum, and vine, with alternative fruit species. Very promising fruit plants are Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas); mulberry (Morus alba); bird cherry (Prunus padus); sour cherry (Prunus cerasus); plants of the genus Amelanchier, Sorbus, and Crategus; medlar (Mespilus germanica); quince (Cydonia oblonga); plants of the genus Vaccinium; and wild roses. When promoting the cultivation of alternative fruit-bearing plants, it is worth emphasizing their beneficial effects on health. This systematic review indicates that the antidiabetic effect of various parts of fruit plants is attributed to the presence of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, which have different mechanisms of antidiabetic action and can be used in the treatment of diabetes and various complications associated with this disease.

Medicinal properties of Morus alba for the control of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review

Background: The objective of this review was to evaluate the medicinal potential of Morus alba leaves on the control of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). The research question was: what is the therapeutic potential of Morus alba leaves for the control of DM2? Methods: This systematic review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The included studies were extracted from Scopus, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scielo, and Google Scholar; January 2015 to July 2021. Key search terms were MeSH and DeCS: Morus alba, mulberry, hypoglycemic agent. The inclusion criteria were: studies in rats administered Morus alba leaf extracts; studies that included the dimensions of lipidemia and glycemia; studies that included indicators such as fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins, total cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Exclusion criteria: studies in which Morus alba leaves were administered with other plants; studies with other parts of the Morus alba plant; proteomic studies, cancer, duplicate studies, in vitro studies, and evaluation of included studies. All included investigations were evaluated for biases. Results: Of 253 studies found, 29 were included. The extracts of Morus alba leaves at the phytochemical level improve glucose uptake. Chlorogenic acid, isoquercitrin, and quercitrin, present in the leaves of Morus alba, have hypoglycemic properties and an ameliorating effect on diabetic nephropathy. This leaf has pharmacological effects such as glucose absorption, insulin secretion production, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities, and obesity management. Conclusions:Morus alba leaves have pharmacological effects on DM2 that include glucose absorption, production of insulin secretion, antioxidant agent, antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities, and obesity control. Beyond these results, there is a lack of studies on the potential and synergistic effects of Morus alba leaves' components, limiting the possibility of a more effective therapy using the plant's leaves.

Mulberry leaf active components alleviate type 2 diabetes and its liver and kidney injury in db/db mice through insulin receptor and TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway

Mulberry leaf is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicines, has been shown to exert hypoglycemic effects against diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects and mechanism of mulberry leaf flavonoids (MF), polysaccharides (MP) and alkaloids (MA) on diabetic and its liver and kidney injury. The db/db mice was adopted and the results showed that the FBG (fasting blood glucose) of model group continued to increase and associated liver and kidney injury. After the intervention of MP and MA, the value of FBG exhibited the most obvious hypoglycemic effect. MF and MP have obvious improved effect on kidney injury, which reduced the content of mALB/Cre (microalbumin/creatinine) in urine and improved the tubular epithelial cells edematous and renal cystic epithelial thickening. While the MF and MA possessed a significant effect on liver damage, manifested in reducing the levels of ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and pathological changes of liver on db/db mice. Through metabolomics analysis, 13 endogenous potential biomarkers were identified in serum. The three effective components of mulberry can regulate the 13 potential biomarkers and the corresponding metabolic pathway. Collectively, the components of mulberry leaf have clear hypoglycemic effect and protective effect on liver and kidney injury and the effects are related to insulin receptor and TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway.

Nutraceutical and Medicinal Potential of the Morus Species in Metabolic Dysfunctions

Many populations use medicinal plants as a therapeutic treatment, due to their lower cost and greater access. Among the plant species used for medicinal purposes are those of the genus Morus. The most known species are Morus alba, rubra, and nigra. This review aims to collect data from the literature, predominantly from cell and animal studies, which presents a possible nutraceutical and medicinal potential of the species Morus for use in metabolic dysfunctions. The fruits and leaves of mulberry are used for therapeutic purposes. For scientific confirmation of these effects, they were studied for laxative properties, antibacterial activity, anti-atherogenic activity, and hepatoprotective function. Furthermore, the genus Morus is recognized for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus, through its hypoglycemic action. It may also provide health benefits through immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nociceptive effects. It has been found that the Morus species have phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins that act as important antioxidants and promote beneficial effects on human health. These phytochemical compounds differ among species. Blackberry (Morus nigra) are rich in flavonoids, while the white mulberry (Morus alba) has low concentrations of flavonoids and anthocyanins. In addition, another important factor is to ensure a complete exemption of toxic risks in the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases. Studies have shown no toxic effects by the administration of extracts of Morus species. Thus, the mulberry tree presents nutraceutical potential. It is therefore a promising alternative for medicinal products based on medicinal plants.