Mulberry Leaf Extract

The Mulberry Leaf Extract (Morus alba) is a concentrated substance extracted from the leaves of the mulberry tree, which contains various active ingredients such as flavonoids, alkaloids, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. These ingredients endow mulberry leaf extract with a variety of health benefits.

Pharmacological Actions of Mulberry Leaf Extract

Hypotensive Effect
When the extract of mulberry leaf is diluted and injected into the femoral vein of anesthetized dogs, a temporary reduction in blood pressure occurs without affecting respiration. The rutin in mulberry leaf also exhibits a hypotensive effect.

Antispasmodic Effect
The extract of mulberry leaf can reduce the tension of intestinal and bronchial smooth muscles. Rutin can decrease the gastric motility of rats and relieve the spasm of small intestinal smooth muscles induced by barium chloride.

Anti-aging Effect
The extract of mulberry leaf can increase the activity of enzymes that scavenge free radicals and reduce the lipofuscin level in tissues to delay aging. The superoxide dismutase in its extract can catalyze the disproportionation of superoxide anion free radicals to generate molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, promptly eliminating free radicals and thereby protecting the body from free radical damage. It plays a crucial role in human anti-aging.

Anti-inflammatory Effect
The extract of mulberry leaves inhibits paw edema in rats caused by histamine, egg albumin, formaldehyde, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and polyvinylpyrrolidone, as well as ankle edema induced by hyaluronidase. Intravenous injection of rutin can suppress skin and joint allergic inflammation and the Arthus phenomenon in rabbits induced by horse serum. Its effect may be attributed to the protection of capillary walls, densifying capillaries, and inhibiting exudation.

Antibacterial Effect
In vitro experiments with fresh mulberry leaf extracts demonstrate strong inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Streptococcus hemolyticus type B, Bacillus anthracis, etc. It also has certain inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhi. The high-concentration decoction of mulberry leaves (31 mg/mL) has an antileptospiral effect in vitro. The volatile oil of mulberry leaves also possesses antibacterial and antifungal effects against skin-pathogenic fungi.

Hypoglycemic Effect
The extract of mulberry leaf has a hypoglycemic effect on experimentally diabetic rats induced by alloxan and on hyperglycemia induced by adrenaline, glucagon, and anti-insulin in mice. The ecdysterone in mulberry leaf also has a hypoglycemic effect, promoting the conversion of glucose into glycogen. Some amino acids in mulberry leaf can stimulate insulin secretion, serving as a regulatory factor for insulin secretion and release in the body and reducing the rate of insulin decomposition to lower blood sugar. Certain inorganic elements also play a role in the hypoglycemic mechanism.

Other Effects
Feeding mice with the extract of mulberry leaf (plant estrogen) can slow down their growth rate. Ecdysterone can promote cell growth, stimulate dermal cell division, generate new epidermis, and induce molting in insects. It can also promote protein synthesis in humans. It can stimulate the uterus of sexually cycling mice. Animal experiments have demonstrated that mulberry leaf has a diuretic effect. There is also an anti-thrombotic effect.