Phytochemicals, Pharmacological Effects and Molecular Mechanisms of Mulberry

Differences in the flavonoid composition of the leaves, fruits, and branches of mulberry are distinguished based on a plant metabolomics approach

Mulberry is a common crop rich in flavonoids, and its leaves (ML), fruits (M), and branches (Ramulus Mori, RM) have medicinal value. In the present study, a total of 118 flavonoid metabolites (47 flavone, 23 flavonol, 16 flavonoid, 8 anthocyanins, 8 isoflavone, 14 flavanone, and 2 proanthocyanidins) and 12 polyphenols were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The most abundant in ML were 8-C-hexosyl-hesperetin O-hexoside and astragalin, the most abundant in M were 8-C-hexosyl-hesperetin O-hexoside and naringenin, and the most abundant in RM were cyanidin 3-O-galactoside and gallocatechin-gallocatechin. The total flavonoid compositions of ML and RM were essentially the same, but the contents of flavonoid metabolite in more than half of them were higher than those in M. Compared with ML, the contents of flavone and flavonoid in RM and M were generally down-regulated. Each tissue part had a unique flavonoid, which could be used as a marker to distinguish different tissue parts. In this study, the differences between flavonoid metabolite among RM, ML, and M were studied, which provided a theoretical basis for making full use of mulberry resources.

Chemical Profile and Aroma Effects of Major Volatile Compounds in New Mulberry Leaf Fu Brick Tea and Traditional Fu Brick Tea

This study aimed to investigate the aroma effects of key volatile compounds in a new type of mulberry leaf Fu brick teas (MTs) and traditional Fu brick teas (FTs). Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), sensory evaluation, and chemometrics were used to determine the differences in key flavour qualities between the two. The results showed that a total of 139 volatile components were identified, with aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols dominating. Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) combined with the odour activity value (OAV) showed that seven aroma compounds had an OAV > 10, including 2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl) propan-2-ol with floral and fruity aroma and green attributes, 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one, (E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-Undecadien-2-one, (3E,5E)-octa-3,5-dien-2-one, Benzaldehyde, and (E)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol, which were more abundant in MTs than FTs; Cedrol with sweet aroma attributes was more consistent in MTs than FTs, and we suggest that these odour compounds are important aroma contributors to MTs. Taken together, these findings will provide new insights into the mechanism of formation of the characteristic attributes of aroma in MTs.

Potential Role and Mechanism of Mulberry Extract in Immune Modulation: Focus on Chemical Compositions, Mechanistic Insights, and Extraction Techniques

Mulberry is a rapidly growing plant that thrives in diverse climatic, topographical, and soil types, spanning temperature and temperate countries. Mulberry plants are valued as functional foods for their abundant chemical composition, serving as a significant reservoir of bioactive compounds like proteins, polysaccharides, phenolics, and flavonoids. Moreover, these compounds displayed potent antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals, inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation, and restoring elevated nitric oxide production induced by LPS stimulation through the downregulation of inducible NO synthase expression. Active components like oxyresveratrol found in Morus demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting leukocyte migration through the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Gallic and chlorogenic acids in mulberry leaves (ML) powder-modulated TNF, IL-6, and IRS1 proteins, improving various inflammatory conditions by immune system modulation. As we delve deeper into understanding its anti-inflammatory potential and how it works therapeutically, it is crucial to refine the extraction process to enhance the effectiveness of its bioactive elements. Recent advancements in extraction techniques, such as solid-liquid extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, superficial fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, are being explored. Among the extraction methods tested, including Soxhlet extraction, maceration, and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), UAE demonstrated superior efficiency in extracting bioactive compounds from mulberry leaves. Overall, this comprehensive review sheds light on the potential of mulberry as a natural immunomodulatory agent and provides insights into its mechanisms of action for future research and therapeutic applications.

Comprehensive overview of different medicinal parts from Morus alba L.: chemical compositions and pharmacological activities

Morus alba L., a common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with a centuries-old medicinal history, owned various medicinal parts like Mori folium, Mori ramulus, Mori cortex and Mori fructus. Different medical parts exhibit distinct modern pharmacological effects. Mori folium exhibited analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic action and lipid-regulation effects. Mori ramulus owned anti-bacterial, anti-asthmatic and diuretic activities. Mori cortex showed counteraction action of pain, inflammatory, bacterial, and platelet aggregation. Mori fructus could decompose fat, lower blood lipids and prevent vascular sclerosis. The main chemical components in Morus alba L. covered flavonoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and amino acids. This article comprehensively analyzed the recent literature related to chemical components and pharmacological actions of M. alba L., summarizing 198 of ingredients and described the modern activities of different extracts and the bioactive constituents in the four parts from M. alba L. These results fully demonstrated the medicinal value of M. alba L., provided valuable references for further comprehensive development, and layed the foundation for the utilization of M. alba L.

A Novel Strategy for Mixed Jam Evaluation: Apparent Indicator, Sensory, Metabolomic, and GC-IMS Analysis

Jam is a popular traditional and modern food product for daily consumption. However, the benefits of mixed jams over single-fruit jams have not been thoroughly explored, with analyses limited to superficial indices. In this study, Xinjiang special Morus nigra L. and Prunus domestica L. were used as raw materials to prepare single-fruit and mixed jams, and their differences in antioxidants, organoleptic qualities, pH, texture, and color were analyzed. The dynamics of metabolites before and after thermal processing were assessed using untargeted metabolomics. The results indicate that the main metabolites were flavonoids, terpenoids, amino acids, phenolic acids, and carbohydrates. Flavonoid metabolites changed significantly after thermal processing, with 40 up-regulated and 13 down-regulated. During storage, polyphenols were the prominent differential metabolites, with fifty-four down-regulated and one up-regulated. Volatile aroma components were analyzed using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS); the aroma components E-2-hexenal, E-2-pentenal, 3-methylbutanal, 1-penten-3-ol, tetrahydro-linalool, 1-penten-3-one, hexyl propionate, isoamyl acetate, α-pinene, and propionic acid in mixed jam were significantly higher than in single-fruit jam. In this study, untargeted metabolomics and GC-IMS were used to provide a more comprehensive and in-depth evaluation system for jam analysis.

Probiotic-fermented edible herbs as functional foods: A review of current status, challenges, and strategies

Recently, consumers have become increasingly interested in natural, health-promoting, and chronic disease-preventing medicine and food homology (MFH). There has been accumulating evidence that many herbal medicines, including MFH, are biologically active due to their biotransformation through the intestinal microbiota. The emphasis of scientific investigation has moved from the functionally active role of MFH to the more subtle role of biotransformation of the active ingredients in probiotic-fermented MFH and their health benefits. This review provides an overview of the current status of research on probiotic-fermented MFH. Probiotics degrade toxins and anti-nutritional factors in MFH, improve the flavor of MFH, and increase its bioactive components through their transformative effects. Moreover, MFH can provide a material base for the growth of probiotics and promote the production of their metabolites. In addition, the health benefits of probiotic-fermented MFH in recent years, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-neurodegenerative, skin-protective, and gut microbiome-modulating effects, are summarized, and the health risks associated with them are also described. Finally, the future development of probiotic-fermented MFH is prospected in combination with modern development technologies, such as high-throughput screening technology, synthetic biology technology, and database construction technology. Overall, probiotic-fermented MFH has the potential to be used in functional food for preventing and improving people's health. In the future, personalized functional foods can be expected based on synthetic biology technology and a database on the functional role of probiotic-fermented MFH.

Extraction of functional natural products employing microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase system: application to anthocyanins extraction from mulberry fruits

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) has been extensively utilized for the extraction and separation of tiny-molecule substances as a new system (system with short-chain ethanol and inorganic salts). In this study, an innovative method of extracting anthocyanins from mulberry was developed, employing microwave-assisted extraction with ethanol/ammonium sulfate as a biphasic extractant. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize anthocyanin extraction conditions: 39% ethanol (w/w), 13% ammonium sulfate (w/w), and liquid-to-solid ratio of 45:1, microwave duration 3 min, microwave temperature 32 °C, and microwave power 480 Watt (W). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis demonstrated no significant differences in the structure of mulberry anthocyanins before and after MAATPE treatment, furthermore. The extraction behavior of MAATPE was due to hydrogen bonding, according to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Scanning electron microscopy analysis found that MAATPE damaged the cell structure via a microwave enhancement effect, which was more favorable to anthocyanin dissolution than standard extraction methods. The DPPH free radical scavenging rate of mulberry extracts at 0.5 mg/mL was higher than that of vitamin C (96.4 ± 0.76%), and the ABTS free radical scavenging rate (82.52 ± 2.13%) was close to that of vitamin C, indicating that MAATPE-derived mulberry extracts have good antioxidant activity.

Anti-obesity Properties of Phytochemicals: Highlighting their Molecular Mechanisms against Obesity

Obesity is a complex, chronic and inflammatory disease that affects more than one-third of the world's population, leading to a higher incidence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. Several phytochemicals are used as flavoring and aromatic compounds, also exerting many benefits for public health. This study aims to summarize and scrutinize the beneficial effects of the most important phytochemicals against obesity. Systematic research of the current international literature was carried out in the most accurate scientific databases, e.g., Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar, using a set of critical and representative keywords, such as phytochemicals, obesity, metabolism, metabolic syndrome, etc. Several studies unraveled the potential positive effects of phytochemicals such as berberine, carvacrol, curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, thymol, etc., against obesity and metabolic disorders. Mechanisms of action include inhibition of adipocyte differentiation, browning of the white adipose tissue, inhibition of enzymes such as lipase and amylase, suppression of inflammation, improvement of the gut microbiota, and downregulation of obesity-inducing genes. In conclusion, multiple bioactive compounds-phytochemicals exert many beneficial effects against obesity. Future molecular and clinical studies must be performed to unravel the multiple molecular mechanisms and anti-obesity activities of these naturally occurring bioactive compounds.

Enhancing the stability of natural anthocyanins against environmental stressors through encapsulation with synthetic peptide-based gels

The instability of anthocyanin to environmental stressors severely limits its applications as a natural bioactive pigment. To overcome these limitations, this proof-of-concept study utilizes the high biocompatibility of peptide molecules and the unique gel microstructure to develop innovative peptide-based gels. Characterization of the gels was conducted through AFM, SEM, rheological analysis, and CD spectrum. These analyses confirmed the fibrous mesh structure and impressive mechanical strength of the peptide-based gels. The cytotoxicity evaluation using MTT and hemolysis analysis showed high biocompatibility. Encapsulation efficiency analysis and fluorescence microscopy images demonstrated successful and efficient encapsulation of anthocyanins in all four peptide-based gels, with uniform distribution. Moreover, systematic investigations were conducted to assess the impact of peptide-based gels on the stability of natural anthocyanins under environmental stressors such as temperature, pH variations, and exposure to metal ions. Notably, the results revealed a significant enhancement in stability, including improved long-term storage and antioxidant activity. In conclusion, this study successfully developed four novel peptide-based gels that effectively protect natural anthocyanins from environmental stressors, highlighting their potential in various fields such as food and biology.

Biosynthetic pathways and related genes regulation of bioactive ingredients in mulberry leaves

Mulberry leaves are served not only as fodder for silkworms but also as potential functional food, exhibiting nutritional and medical benefits due to the complex and diverse constituents, including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and benzofurans, which possess a wide range of biological activities, such as anti-diabete, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and so on. Nevertheless, compared with the well-studied phytochemistry and pharmacology of mulberry leaves, the current understanding of the biosynthesis mechanisms and regulatory mechanisms of active ingredients in mulberry leaves remain unclear. Natural resources of these active ingredients are limited owing to their low contents in mulberry leaves tissues and the long growth cycle of mulberry. Biosynthesis is emerging as an alternative means for accumulation of the desired high-value compounds, which can broaden channels for their large-scale green productions. Therefore, this review summarizes the recent research advance on the correlative key genes, enzyme biocatalytic reactions and biosynthetic pathways of valuable natural ingredients (i.e. alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and benzofurans) in mulberry leaves, thereby offering important insights for their further biomanufacturing.

Total Synthesis of Kuwanons A and B and Discovery of Their Antibacterial Mechanism

Kuwanons A (1) and B (2) are two natural prenylated flavones isolated from the root bark of Morus alba L. In this study, the first total syntheses of kuwanons A (1) and B (2) were achieved from a common intermediate with overall yields of 6.6% and 11.6%, respectively. Kuwanon B (2) exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and concentration-dependent bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Preliminary mechanism of action studies suggested that this compound killed bacteria rapidly by disrupting bacterial membrane integrity.

Cultivable Endophyte Resources in Medicinal Plants and Effects on Hosts

With the increasing demand for medicinal plants and the increasing shortage of resources, improving the quality and yield of medicinal plants and making more effective use of medicinal plants has become an urgent problem to be solved. During the growth of medicinal plants, various adversities can lead to nutrient loss and yield decline. Using traditional chemical pesticides to control the stress resistance of plants will cause serious pollution to the environment and even endanger human health. Therefore, it is necessary to find suitable pesticide substitutes from natural ingredients. As an important part of the microecology of medicinal plants, endophytes can promote the growth of medicinal plants, improve the stress tolerance of hosts, and promote the accumulation of active components of hosts. Endophytes have a more positive and direct impact on the host and can metabolize rich medicinal ingredients, so researchers pay attention to them. This paper reviews the research in the past five years, aiming to provide ideas for improving the quality of medicinal plants, developing more microbial resources, exploring more medicinal natural products, and providing help for the development of research on medicinal plants and endophytes.

The Impact of White Mulberry, Green Barley, Chia Seeds, and Spirulina on Physicochemical Characteristics, Texture, and Sensory Quality of Processed Cheeses

Processed cheeses (PC) are products resulting from the mixing and melting of rennet cheese, emulsifying salts, water, and possibly various additional ingredients. They are considered good vehicles for new ingredients, including plant-based ones. In addition to the health-promoting effects of plant-based ingredients, some of them can also affect positively the quality characteristics of PC (e.g., texture, taste, and consistency) and their addition may reduce the amount of emulsifying salts used. The aim of the study was to determine the possibility of the addition of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0% white mulberry (M), chia (Ch), green barley (GB), or spirulina (S) to PC and the effects on selected characteristics of these products (chemical composition, pH, water activity, color parameters, texture, and sensory properties). In all PC variants, a significance decrease in the dry matter content was observed with an increase in the additive level. The use of plant-based additives allowed us to reduce the addition of emulsifying salts by 50% compared to their typical amounts and the share of rennet cheese in the PC recipe by approximately 18%, which had a beneficial effect on the nutritional value of these products. The use of 3% GB, Ch, or M as additives to PC enabled a reduction in its sodium content by 27, 27, and 42%, respectively, compared to the control cheese. Among the tested additives, GB caused the greatest increase in the hardness of PC (even at the amount of 0.5%), indicating that is beneficial and can be used in the production of sliced PC. All the additives either significantly reduced the adhesiveness of PC or had no effect on this parameter. In terms of sensory characteristics, the highest acceptable addition of GB was 0.5%, and that for S and Ch was 1%, while the addition of M, even at 3%, was assessed very positively. The results of this research may be helpful in the development of new recipes for processed cheeses obtained in industrial conditions.

Metabolome and Transcriptome Integrated Analysis of Mulberry Leaves for Insight into the Formation of Bitter Taste

Mulberry leaves are excellent for health care, confirmed as a 'drug homologous food' by the Ministry of Health, China. The bitter taste of mulberry leaves is one of the main problems that hinders the development of the mulberry food industry. The bitter, unique taste of mulberry leaves is difficult to eliminate by post-processing. In this study, the bitter metabolites in mulberry leaves were identified as flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, coumarins and L-amino acids by a combined analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome of mulberry leaves. The analysis of the differential metabolites showed that the bitter metabolites were diverse and the sugar metabolites were down-regulated, indicating that the bitter taste of mulberry leaves was a comprehensive reflection of various bitter-related metabolites. Multi-omics analysis showed that the main metabolic pathway related to bitter taste in mulberry leaves was galactose metabolism, indicating that soluble sugar was one of the main factors of bitter taste difference in mulberry leaves. Bitter metabolites play a great role in the medicinal and functional food of mulberry leaves, but the saccharides in mulberry leaves have a great influence on the bitter taste of mulberry. Therefore, we propose to retain bitter metabolites with drug activity in mulberry leaves and increase the content of sugars to improve the bitter taste of mulberry leaves as strategies for mulberry leaf food processing and mulberry breeding for vegetable use.

Prokinetic Activity of Mulberry Fruit, Morus alba L

The fruit of Morus alba L. (MAF) has been consumed as a food worldwide. MAF has also been widely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years in East Asia, and its diverse bioactivities have been reported in numerous publications. However, no prokinetic activity has been reported for MAF or its components. In the present study, therefore, we investigated the effects of MAF on gastrointestinal motor function by measuring the intestinal transit rate (ITR) of Evans blue in mice in vivo. The ITR values accelerated by MAF were significantly higher than those accelerated by cisapride or metoclopramide, suggesting that MAF has potential as a new prokinetic agent to replace cisapride and metoclopramide. We also investigated the effects of MAF on myogenic and neurogenic contractions in human intestinal smooth muscles by measuring spontaneous contractions of smooth muscle strips, smooth muscle contractions induced by neural stimulation, and migrating motor complexes from intestinal segments in the human ileum and sigmoid colon in situ. MAF increased both myogenic and neurogenic contractions to enhance ileal and colonic motility in the human intestine. Taken together, these results indicate that MAF enhanced intestinal motility by increasing both myogenic and neurogenic contractions, thereby accelerating the ITR.

A Novel Intelligent Indicator Film: Preparation, Characterization, and Application

The development of intelligent indicator film that can detect changes in food quality is a new trend in the food packaging field. The WPNFs-PU-ACN/Gly film was prepared based on whey protein isolate nanofibers (WPNFs). Anthocyanin (ACN) and glycerol (Gly) were used as the color indicator and the plasticizer, respectively, while pullulan (PU) was added to enhance mechanical properties of WPNFs-PU-ACN/Gly edible film. In the study, the addition of ACN improved the hydrophobicity and oxidation resistance of the indicator film; with an increase in pH, the color of the indicator film shifted from dark pink to grey, and its surface was uniform and smooth. Therefore, the WPNFs-PU-ACN/Gly edible film would be suitable for sensing the pH of salmon, which changes with deterioration, as the color change of ACN was completely consistent with fish pH. Furthermore, the color change after being exposed to grey was evaluated in conjunction with hardness, chewiness, and resilience of salmon as an indication. This shows that intelligent indicator film made of WPNFs, PU, ACN, and Gly could contribute to the development of safe food.

Sericultural By-Products: The Potential for Alternative Therapy in Cancer Drug Design

Major progress has been made in cancer research; however, cancer remains one of the most important health-related burdens. Sericulture importance is no longer limited to the textile industry, but its by-products, such as silk fibroin or mulberry, exhibit great impact in the cancer research area. Fibroin, the pivotal compound that is found in silk, owns superior biocompatibility and biodegradability, representing one of the most important biomaterials. Numerous studies have reported its successful use as a drug delivery system, and it is currently used to develop three-dimensional tumor models that lead to a better understanding of cancer biology and play a great role in the development of novel antitumoral strategies. Moreover, sericin's cytotoxic effect on various tumoral cell lines has been reported, but also, it has been used as a nanocarrier for target therapeutic agents. On the other hand, mulberry compounds include various bioactive elements that are well known for their antitumoral activities, such as polyphenols or anthocyanins. In this review, the latest progress of using sericultural by-products in cancer therapy is discussed by highlighting their notable impact in developing novel effective drug strategies.