Protective Effect of Morus alba Leaf Extract on N-Nitrosodiethylamine-induced Hepatocarcinogenesis in Rats

Morus alba: a comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacological review

Morus alba is a fast-growing shrub or medium-sized tree with a straight, cylindrical trunk. Medicinally, whole plants, leaves, fruits, branches, and roots have been employed. Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were used to search for relevant material on the phytochemical components and pharmacologic and mechanism of action of the Morus alba. This was reviewed to assess important updates about Morus alba. The fruits of Morus alba have traditionally been used as an analgesic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, anti-rheumatic, diuretic, hypotensive, hypoglycemia, purgative, restorative, sedative tonic, and blood stimulant. Various plant parts were used as a cooling, sedating, diuretic, tonic, and astringent agent to treat nerve disorders. The plant contained tannins, steroids, phytosterols, sitosterol, glycosides, alkaloids, carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids, as well as saponins, triterpenes, phenolics, flavonoids, benzofuran derivatives, anthocyanins, anthraquinones, glycosides, vitamins, and minerals. Previous pharmacological research identified antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunological, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant, anti-cancer, antidiabetic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, cardiovascular, hypolipidemic, anti-obesity, dermatological, neurological, muscular, and protecting effects. This study looked at Morus alba's traditional uses, chemical components, and pharmacological effects.

The phenolic components extracted from mulberry fruits as bioactive compounds against cancer: A review

In Asia, mulberry has long been used to treat various infectious and internal ailments as a traditional medication. The compounds found in it have the potential to improve human health. Because there is no approved and defined evaluation procedure, it has not been formally or scientifically recognized. As a result of these investigations, a new frontier in traditional Chinese medicine has opened up, with the possibility of modernization, for the interaction between active components of mulberry and their biological activities. These studies have used current biotechnological technologies. For ages, mulberry has been used as an herbal remedy in Asia to cure various diseases and internal disorders. It has a high concentration of bioactive chemicals that benefit human health. The most abundant phenolic components extracted from white mulberry leaves are flavonoids (Kuwanons, Moracinflavans, Moragrols, and Morkotins), phenolic acids, alkaloids, and so forth. Flavonoids, benzofurans, chalcones, and alkaloids have been discovered to have cytotoxic effects on human cancer cell lines. There is growing evidence that mulberry fruits can potentially prevent cancer and other aging-related disorders due to their high concentration of bioactive polyphenolic-rich compounds and macro and micronutrients. Anthocyanins are rapidly absorbed after eating, arriving in the plasmalemma within 15-50 min and entirely removed after 6-8 hr. Due to a lack of an approved and consistent technique for its examination, it has yet to be formally or scientifically recognized. The mulberry plant is commercially grown for silkworm rearing, and less attention is paid to its bioactive molecules, which have a lot of applications in human health. This review paper discusses the phenolic compounds of white mulberry and black mulberry in detail concerning their role in cancer prevention.

Network Pharmacology Study on Morus alba L. Leaves: Pivotal Functions of Bioactives on RAS Signaling Pathway and Its Associated Target Proteins against Gout

M. alba L. is a valuable nutraceutical plant rich in potential bioactive compounds with promising anti-gouty arthritis. Here, we have explored bioactives, signaling pathways, and key proteins underlying the anti-gout activity of M. alba L. leaves for the first-time utilizing network pharmacology. Bioactives in M. alba L. leaves were detected through GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrum) analysis and filtered by Lipinski's rule. Target proteins connected to the filtered compounds and gout were selected from public databases. The overlapping target proteins between bioactives-interacted target proteins and gout-targeted proteins were identified using a Venn diagram. Bioactives-Proteins interactive networking for gout was analyzed to identify potential ligand-target and visualized the rich factor on the R package via the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway on STRING. Finally, a molecular docking test (MDT) between bioactives and target proteins was analyzed via AutoDock Vina. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) demonstrated that mechanisms of M. alba L. leaves against gout were connected to 17 signaling pathways on 26 compounds. AKT1 (AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 1), γ-Tocopherol, and RAS signaling pathway were selected as a hub target, a key bioactive, and a hub signaling pathway, respectively. Furthermore, three main compounds (γ-Tocopherol, 4-Dehydroxy-N-(4,5-methylenedioxy-2-nitrobenzylidene) tyramine, and Lanosterol acetate) and three key target proteins-AKT1, PRKCA, and PLA2G2A associated with the RAS signaling pathway were noted for their highest affinity on MDT. The identified three key bioactives in M. alba L. leaves might contribute to recovering gouty condition by inactivating the RAS signaling pathway.

Pharmacological Activities for Morus alba L., Focusing on the Immunostimulatory Property from the Fruit Aqueous Extract

Depending on the extraction method, numerous compounds that have specific pharmacological effects can be obtained from M. alba L. There is a growing scientific interest in health problems related to aging. Efforts to develop safe immune-enhancing pharmaceuticals are increasing. This review aims to summarize and critically discuss the immunity enhancement effects and pharmaceutical efficacy of M. alba L. extracts. The scientific database search was conducted using Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed until May 2021. Additional articles were identified and obtained from references in the retrieved articles. Ethanol or methanol extraction of various parts of M. alba L. identified a large amount of phenols and flavonoids, which are effective for immunosuppression, antioxidants, and cardiovascular diseases, and are antibacterial, and anticancer. Water extraction of M. alba L. enhanced the innate immune response based on immune cell activation. A polysaccharide and an alkaloid related to increased macrophage activity were isolated from M. alba L. fruit extracts. M. alba L. fruit water extracts primarily induced the production of pro-inflammatory substances, in model organisms, via TLR4 in immune cells. Water extracts have been shown to be effective in pathogen defense and tumor suppression by enhancing macrophage activity. Based on our literature review on the bioactivity of M. alba L. fruit extracts, particularly in relation to their immunity enhancement activity, we anticipate that M. alba-derived pharmaceuticals will have excellent potential in future medical research.

Bioactivity Screening of Mulberry Leaf Extracts and two Related Flavonoids in Combination with Cisplatin on Human Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cells

The successful therapy strategy of gastric cancer is defined as devastating the cancerous cells without exposing systematic toxicity and undesirable side effects. One strategy to overcome cancer treatment related difficulties could be combination therapy with natural products with anticancer drugs to introduce effective antitumor effects in addition to reduce undesirable side effects. In this regard, different extracts of mulberry leaf, isoquercetin and rutin as the extracted flavonoids from Morus alba, mulberry, in single dose as well as in combination with cisplatin against gastric cancer cell line were applied. This innovative treatment led to cytotoxic effect on gastric cancer cells in a synergistic manner. The findings anticipated that these herbal products have exceptional potential for future gastric cancer investigations and therapy.

Functional Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Morus alba L. Leaves var. Zolwinska Wielkolistna (WML-P)-The Effect of Controlled Conditioning Process

This study evaluated the effect of adding a new step, termed conditioning, to the traditional processing of leaves from Morus alba var. zolwinska wielkolistna grown in Poland (WML-P). This step, modeled on tea leaves processing, was conducted in a controlled environment on a semi-technical scale. The primary goal was to evaluate the effect of the WML-P conditioning for 1–4 h at 32–35 °C on the content of bioactive compounds (total phenolics, phenolic acids, flavonols, 1-deoxynojirimycin) and antioxidant activity (radical scavenging against DPPH, antioxidant capacity, chelating activity and ferric reducing antioxidant potential) of the lyophilized extracts. For the first time WML-P extracts content was comprehensively characterized by assessing dietary fiber fractions, fatty acids, amino acids, macro- and microelements and chlorophyll content. Compared to the traditional process, adding the conditioning step to WML-P processing resulted in an increased total phenolics content, radical scavenging capacity, ability to quench 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) and iron-chelating ability in the lyophilized extracts. The beneficial effect depended on conditioning time. The highest flavonols and phenolic acids content were found after 2-h conditioning. We concluded that adding a 2-h conditioning step to traditional WML-P processing results in getting WML-P lyophilized extract with increased bioactive compounds content and high antioxidant activity.

β-carotene inhibits NF-κB and restrains diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic inflammation in Wistar rats

β-Carotene exhibits antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities via a multitude of biochemical mechanisms. However, the action mechanism involved in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of this carotene in chronic liver diseases is not fully understood. In the present investigation, we have attempted to outline a plausible mechanism of β-carotene action against liver fibrosis in albino Wistar rats. To induce hepatic fibrosis, diethylnitrosamine (DEN) was administered in experimental rats for two weeks. DEN treated rats were divided into four groups, wherein each group comprised of five rats. β-Carotene supplement attenuated DEN-induced elevation in LFT markers (P < 0.05); averted depletion of glycogen (24%, P < 0.05) and, increased nitrite (P < 0.05), hydroxyproline (~67%, P < 0.05) and collagen levels (~65%, P < 0.05). Confocal microscopy of tissue sections stained with picrosirius red revealed accrued collagen in DEN-administered group, which was found to be reduced by β-carotene supplementation. Furthermore, β-carotene decreased the expression of iNOS/NOS-2 and NF-κB, as revealed by immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblotting. Collectively, these results demonstrate that β-carotene mitigates experimental liver fibrosis via inhibition of iNOS and NF-κB in-vivo. Thus, β-carotene may be suggested as a possible nutraceutical to curb experimental liver fibrosis.

Sanggenol L promotes apoptotic cell death in melanoma skin cancer cells through activation of caspase cascades and apoptosis-inducing factor

Sanggenol L is one component of root bark of Morus alba. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of sanggenol L effects on melanoma cells are not well known. Recently, melanoma is the most common skin cancer with a high mortality rate not only in United States, but also in East Asia. Therefore, safe and effective treatments for melanoma treatment are required. In this study, we investigated whether or not sanggenol L possesses anti-cancer activity in human and mouse melanoma skin cancer cells. Sanggenol L treatment exerted significant cell growth inhibitory effects and inhibited colony formation capacity against B16, SK-MEL-2, and SK-MEL-28 melanoma skin cancer cells, whereas HaCaT human epithelial keratinocyte cells was unaffected by sanggenol L treatment. Sanggenol L treatment resulted in apoptotic cell death in melanoma skin cancer cells, which was characterized by accumulation of apoptotic cells, nuclear condensation, and apoptotic bodies. We also showed that sanggenol L treatment induced caspase-dependent apoptosis (up-regulation of Bax and cleaved-PARP or down-regulation of Bid, Bcl-2, procaspse-3, -8, and -9), induction of caspase-independent apoptosis (up-regulation of AIF and Endo G on cytosol) in melanoma skin cancer cells. These results suggest that sanggenol L induces caspase-dependent and -independent apoptosis in melanoma skin cancer cells.

Activation of macrophage mediated host defense against Salmonella typhimurium by Morus alba L

Background

The innate immune system plays a crucial role in the initiation and subsequent direction of adaptive immune responses, as well as in the removal of pathogens that have been targeted by an adaptive immune response.

Objective

Morus alba L. was reported to have immunostimulatory properties that might protect against infectious diseases. However, this possibility has not yet been explored. The present study investigated the protective and immune-enhancing ability of M. alba L. against infectious disease and the mechanisms involved.

Design

To investigate the immune-enhancing effects of M. alba L., we used a bacterial infection model.

Results and discussions

The lifespan of mice infected with a lethal dose of Salmonella typhimurium (1 × 10⁷ colony forming units – CFU) was significantly extended when they were administered M. alba L. Furthermore, M. alba L. activated macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils and induced Th1 cytokines (IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α) in mice infected with a sublethal dose (1 × 10⁵ CFU) of S. typhimurium. M. alba L. significantly stimulated the uptake of bacteria into peritoneal macrophages as indicated by increased phagocytosis. Peritoneal macrophages derived from C3H/HeJ mice significantly inhibited M. alba L. induced NO production and TNF-α secretion compared with peritoneal macrophages derived from C3H/HeN mice.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the innate immune activity of M. alba L. against bacterial infection in mice occurs through activation of the TLR4 signaling pathway.