MORUS ALBA

Common name: White Mulberry, Russian Mulberry, Silkworm Mulberry • Hindi: शहतूत Shahtoot • Tamil: கம்பிளிச Kambli chedi • Manipuri: কব্রঙচাক অঙৌবা Kabrangchak angouba

Botanical name: Morus alba   

Family: Moraceae (Mulberry family)

Geographical distribution: The plant occurs throughout India in tropical and subtropical regions and also cultivated in most areas.

Introduction: A beatiful, large leaved, naturally well shaped tree that offers dense shade. Grows at about 1 ft/yr to 30 ft. Berries are mildly sweet, reminiscent of watermelon. This is the mulberry used to feed silkworms. Birds love the berries. The white mulberry is so-named for the color of its buds, rather than the color of its fruit. The thin, glossy, light green leaves are variously lobed even on the same plant. Some are unlobed while others are glove-shaped. Leaves of the red mulberry are larger and thicker, blunt toothed and often lobed. Mulberry trees are either dioecious or monoecious, and sometimes will change from one sex to another. The flowers are held on short, green, pendulous, nondescript catkins that appear in the axils of the current season's growth and on spurs on older wood. They are wind pollinated and some cultivars will set fruit without any pollination. Cross-pollination is not necessary. Botanically the fruit is not a berry but a collective fruit. The color of the fruit does not identify the mulberry species. White mulberries, for example, can produce white, lavender or black fruit. The white mulberry is native to eastern and central China.

Chemical Constituents: The plant is a very good source of ascorbic acid, of which over 90% is present in a reduced form, and also contains carotene, Vitamin B1, folic acid, folinic acid, isoquercetin, quercetin, tannins, flavonoids and saponins, which act as a good source of natural antioxidants. White mulberry leaf contains triterpenes (lupeol) Sterols (β- Sitosterol), bioflavonoids (rutin, moracetin, quercetin-3-triglucoside and isoquercitrin), coumarins, volatile oil, alkaloids, amino acids and organic acids. Morus alba leaves contain rutin, quercetin and apigenin as bioactive constituents. The one of major constituent of Morus alba is 1-deoxynojirimycin. Morus alba leaf extract has been found to produce nitric acid, prostaglandin E2 and cytokines in macrophages. Further, a polysaccharide isolated from Morus alba root bark. Many flavones were isolated from the root bark as active principles. Many biochemical compounds such as Moranoline, Albafuran, Albanol, Morusin, Kuwanol, Calystegin and Hydroxymoricin are isolated from mulberry plants which play an important role in pharmaceutical industry. Review shows the presence of thiamine, protein, carbohydrates. The plant is reported to contain the phytoconstituents tannins, phytosterols, sitosterols, saponins, triterpenes, flavonoids, benzofuran derivatives, morusimic acid, anthocyanins, anthroquinones, glycosides and oleanolic acid as the main active principles.

The plant is a very good source of ascorbic acid, of which over 90% is present in a reduced form, and also contains carotene, vitamin b1, folic acid, folinic acid, isoquercetin, quercetin, tannins, flavonoids and saponins. These reports are very encouraging and indicate that herb should be studied more extensively for its therapeutic benefits.

Medicinal Use: The review reveals the wide range of important Pharmacological activities including antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antioxidant, anticancer, anxiolytic, anthelmintic, antistress, immunomodulatory, hypocholesterolemic, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective. Various other effects like adaptogenic effect, effect on hyperlipidemia, inhibition of melanin biosynthesis used in psychiatric disorder, also in gut and airways disorders.

Folk medicinal uses: A tea made from root is used to treat diarrhoea. Fruit preparation is given for high fever.

Flowers: February-March

Fruits : May-June