Mulberry/Tuti - Health benefits, application, chemical constituents and many more

 Mulberry/Tuti/Shahatoot

Mulberry is a fast growing deciduous plant found in wide variety of climatic, topographical and soil conditions, and is widely distributed from temperate to subtropical regions. Due to presence of valuable phytochemical constituents, mulberry as a whole plant has been utilized as a functional food since long time. Fully ripened mulberry fruit has a wonderful mouth-watering taste with a good aroma and flavour. It is appreciated for direct consumption and for making value-added products. Mulberry fruits are recognized for the well-being of human beings due to their high nutritional significance.  Different colours of mulberry fruits even from the same species may have different amounts of anthocyanins

Mulberry (Morus spp., Moraceae) is a well-known medicinal plant. White mulberry (Morus alba), black mulberry (M. nigra) and red mulberry (M. rubra) are the most notable species of the genus Morus. Conventionally, it is believed that fruits of mulberry, particularly black and red varieties are advantageous to the human body. Almost all varieties of mulberry plant are traditionally recognized in Unani, Ayurveda, and Chinese systems of medicine with several pharmacological properties.

It shows anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlpidimic, anti-hypertensive, hypo-cholesterolemic, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective properties, and many more.

                  Click here for more information about Antioxidants and Free radicals

We here focused on 3 types of mulberries includes (black, red and white one)

Uses, Remedies, Benefits and Application

1) Mulberry fruits are famous throughout the world for their mouth-watering taste that makes it suitable to consume either in fresh or as an ingredient in value-added products and for culinary uses. It has gained popularity due to consumer awareness and enthusiasm for healthy and low calories foods. 

2) It contains health-promoting polyphenols and is consumed directly or in processed product forms such as juices, syrups, liquors, molasses, jams, wines, and soft drinks. 

3) Mulberry fruits are among the berries that can be called as superfood and can be industrially explored for diverse commercially priceless valuable edible products. 

4) This mulberry juice aids in keeping healthy and smooth skin, prevents irritations, inflammations and throat infections, and has also has laxative properties.

5) In China, mulberry is usually available in the form of a paste famous as sangshengao. This paste is dissolved in warm water to make tea that improves kidney and liver functions and enhances the vision and hearing. Chinese people also take young leaves and tender shoots of mulberry as vegetables in some specified regions. Iranian people utilize dehydrated mulberries as a sweetening agent in black tea.

6) Mulberries improve immunity and metabolism, detoxify the liver and kidney, and calms the nerves.

7) These small fruits are tonic for blood. Mulberry fruit juice on regular intake, is beneficial in anemia, sleeplessness, dizziness, and heart palpitation.

8) Mulberries have laxative effect and are helpful in constipation cure. The fruits are eaten empty stomach with glass of water for treating the same.

9) Mulberry fruit powder prevents aging of the skin by disturbing the formation of free radicals in cells. It also manages good cholesterol in the human body and balances the absorption of carbohydrates.

10) Mulberry fruits eating improves haemoglobin level and cleanses blood.

11) Decoction of the tree bark is given for lowering blood sugar and leaf decoction is used as diuretic/ stimulates production of urine.

12) Mulberry wine, which is sweet and sour can be produced from over-ripened mulberry fruits. This functional wine aids in removing unwanted faecal impurities from the body and may help in making the body lean and function as medication to tonify the masculine weakness after diseases. Mulberry wine is well-known in Europe as a name lady’s drink. 

13) Mulberry fruit is a concentrated source of anthocyanins mainly cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) and cyanidin-3-rutinoside (C3R)that can be utilized as a natural colorant in food industries.

14) Mulberry leaves can be incorporated into wheat flour to make paratha with different mix ratios. 

15) The paste of the bark of Tuta is applied on the area affected with dental caries and gingivitis.

16) One of the special caffeine-free teas made from mulberry leaves is mulberry tea. It is popular in China, Thailand, Japan, and Korea, where it has been used in conventional medicine since ages. Itis famous for enhancing liver and kidney functions, sharpening hearing, and brightening the eyes. This tea also relieves cough, cold, and throat infections, and also inhibits cholesterol oxidation, thereby freeing the arteries from fat deposition, hence avoiding artery hardening. Because of its anti-diabetic and cholesterol-lowering properties, this functional tea is a very popular drink. In case of a throat infection, a decoction of leaves is often used as a gargle.

17) Mulberries can help to mitigate skin problems such as reduction in spots and blemishes appearing with age and inhibition of free radical linked oxidative activity thereby bestowing a healthier and shiny appearance to skin and hair. 

18) The root bark decoction is given in a dose of 40-60 ml to treat difficulty in micturition and inflammation of the joints associated with pain.

19) The paste of the leaves or bark of root is applied over the skin effected with ring worm, scabies and mild rashes.

20) Fruits of M. nigra are among the important constituents of Unani medicine known as Tutiaswad, which is believed to have anti-cancerous activities. In India, mulberry is known as “KalpaVruksha” since all parts of the plant are used for various purposes and its fruit is commonly named as toot and shahtoot (King's or “superior” mulberry). 

21) Decoction of the bark of Morus alba is given in a dose of 40-50 ml to treat burning micturition, cough associated with phlegm and to control diabetes.

22) Decoction of the tree bark is given for lowering blood sugar and leaf decoction is used as diuretic/ stimulates production of urine.

23) The fruit of Mulberry is consumed to treat mild constipation and as coolant to the body.

24) The fresh juice is consumed to treat sore throat, lack of taste and general debility.

Chemical constituents

• Additionally, mulberry fruits hold a diversity of nutrient elements that play a vital function in human metabolism. M. alba fruit is a good resource of carbohydrate, lipid, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fibers. The quantity of protein in fresh M. alba fruit is greater than that of raspberries and strawberries and comparable to blackberries, whereas the anthocyanin content is higher than blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, and redcurrant. M. alba fruit contains both essential and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acid /total amino acid ratio is 42 percent, which is almost equal to certain protein-rich foods such as fish and milk. Hence, can be considered as an excellent protein source.
• The ascorbic acid content in M. alba and M. nigra is 15.81 and 12.81 mg/100g, respectively of fresh fruit weight. Mulberries also contain some important alkaloids that activate macrophages by stimulating the immune system and hence safe guard the human body against health threats. The most important alkaloids isolated from mulberry leaves are 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ),1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-ribitol, and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol. Primary sugars present in mulberry are fructose and glucose, which increase with ripening. Amongst the widely recognised varieties, M. alba has the maximum fat content of 1.10% followed by M. nigra with0.95% and M. rubrawith0.85%. Oleic acid, palmitic acid and linolenic acid are the major fatty acids in mulberry fruit. The sequence of fatty acids in M. alba fruit is polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) followed by monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and saturated fatty acids. Among all fatty acids, PUFA is the main fatty acid in mulberry fruits comprising at least 76.68%, which is even higher than that of strawberries.
• There are many organic acids present in mulberry fruits viz citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, succinic acid and fumaric acid however, malic acid is primarily found organic acid in all the species. 
• Mulberry is also an excellent source of some important minerals particularly calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sodium. 
• Calcium and potassium are the two most abundant elements, whereas sodium is present in less quantity.
• Antinutritional components, includes fibre, cyanide and tannin, in mulberry leaves in the range of 8.74–13.70%, 1.01–2.14 mg/kg and 3.54–5.32 mg/kg, respectively.
• Phenolic acids in mulberry leaves were identified as caffeic, gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, chlorogenic, syringic, p-coumaric, ferulic and m-coumaric acids. Flavonol compounds were rutin (3-O-rutinoside quercetin), izoquercitrin (quercetin 3-β-d-glucoside) and astragalin (kaempferol 3-β-d-glucopyranoside).
• Leaves possess essential polyunsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid & linolenic acid and essential amino acids (branched side chain possessing amino acids, aromatic amino acids) needed by the human beings for normal metabolic activities and growth.
• It was evident that Linoleic acid, an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid is found as predominant fatty acid in mulberry fruits and plays an important role in development, promotion of health and disease prevention in humans.
• Mulberry fruit possess Vitamin-A (β-carotene), Vitamin-B1 (thiamine), Vitamin-B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin-B3 (niacin), Vitamin-B6, Folate, Vitamin-C (ascorbic acid) Vitamin-E (α-tocopherol) and Vitamin-K (phylloquinone).
• Mulberry leaf and fruits were being exploited for their pharmaceutical compounds like γ-aminobutyric acid, arylbenzofuran, carotenoids, coumarins, cyanidin-3-O-beta-D glucopyranoside, 1-deoxynojirimycin, ethyl acetate, flavonoids, moran, moranolin, polyphenols, pyrrole alkaloids, polyhydroxy alkaloids and vitamins.

Note : 

1. Pure and fresh mulberry fruit juice under cold storage environment remains fresh for a duration of three months and bottled juice can stay fresh at ambient temperature for a period of six months to a year. 
2. Leaves of mulberry are economically viable due to their important role in the sericulture industry since ancient times.
3. Mulberry is a multi-functional plant. Being an excellent source of nutrients and phytochemicals, mulberry has been established as functional food. Mulberry leaves are a precious source of macro- and micronutrients, and organic acids
4. The leaves are also cultivated for dairy animal feed due to the positive effect on milk production
5. Plants also contribute to soil health; retains water in soil sub-surface and cools overheated urban areas through its evapotranspiration mechanism of water cycle. Ecological recycling of minerals from plants back to the nature enables maintenance of fertility in soil and forests. Beauty of plants is that; several species of plants can co-exist together in a place or unit of area within same environment and with same resources (air, water, soil nutrients and predatory organisms); leading to formation of a sustainable ecosystem.
6. Mulberry tree is a medicinal plant. It is used therapeutically in many countries such as India, Japan, China, etc. Generally for medicinal purpose White Mulberry/Morus alba is used.

Research : 

• Different parts of Morus species like fruits, leaves, twigs, and bark exhibit strong anti-tyrosinase inhibition activity that makes it a suitable candidate in cosmetic industries as a whitening agent. Most Asian countries use M. alba (leaves, fruits, root bark and branches) as an ingredient in cosmetics

              - In a study, ethanolic extract of M. alba fruit was utilized to develop an emulsion-based cream to study its clinical effect on skin melanin, erythema, and moisture content for eight weeks. The formulated cream significantly decreased melanin content without causing any type of skin irritation

              - In other research, betulinic acid (C30H48O3) was isolated from M. alba (hexane extract of stem and root bark)which can be utilized as a whitening agent owing to its tyrosinase inhibitory activity

              - Ethanolic extract of M. nigra exhibits excellent tyrosinase inhibition activity and also be utilised for the formulation of peel-off mask and for acne treatment

• It can be cultivated in different forms of land i.e. mountains, plains and valleys under rain fed as well as irrigated conditions and also in harsh conditions of humid and semi-arid lands; with varied modes (bush, dwarf and tree) of cultivation. It has highest impact in protection of the environment through ecorestoration of degraded lands, bioremediation of polluted sites, air purification through carbon sequestration and conservation of soil and water through its deeply rooted dense network of rooting system

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