Nutritional Value and Benefits of White Mulberry (Morus Alba)
Mulberries are widely distributed throughout the tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of Asia, Europe, America, and Africa, demonstrating their high adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. Turkey is one of the major centers of mulberry diversity with a long history of cultivation dating back 400-500 years. The most popular mulberry species with edible fruit cultivated in Türkiye are Morus nigra, Morus rubra, Morus alba, and Morus laevigata (1).
In recent years, fresh white mulberry (Morus alba L.) has gained increasing popularity due to its superior health and nutritional properties. While consumed fresh in many countries, white mulberries are also popular as a healthy snack in dried form. White mulberries are attracting significant attention due to their carbohydrate, protein, fiber, fat, vitamins, and mineral content. The presence of valuable bioactive compounds makes them an ideal candidate for the functional foods category, meeting nutritional needs as well as promoting human health. White mulberry fruits contain 20% sugar, primarily glucose, maltose, sucrose, and fructose. They also contain organic acids such as citric and cider acids and essential oils. Due to this high content of easily digestible sugars, people in high mountain regions would grind dried mulberry fruits into flour and add them to various dishes. Dried mulberry fruits are also used as a source of refreshing and strengthening food. White mulberry has other properties that are equally important for human health. First of all, the leaves and fruits contain 15-31% high-quality protein, crude fiber, 200-300 mg/100 g ascorbic acid, more than 90% of which is in reduced form, vitamin B, folic acid, folinic acid, vitamin D, β-carotene, and trace minerals (iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium) (2). The phenolic compounds of white mulberries possess a wide range of antioxidant and antimutagenic activities, as well as anti-cancer properties. Due to their healthful properties, white mulberries should be used much more widely as a functional food than they are today. White mulberries are a very rich source of antioxidants, including ascorbic acid (vitamin C), anthocyanins, and polyphenols. These active substances are crucial in protecting and preventing human diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, and cancer, and they improve the quality of life of numerous groups of people (3). Dried mulberries are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, premature aging, and diabetes, and also protect the liver and kidneys (4).
Mulberries are often consumed dried, similar to raisins. In this form, they contain 70% carbohydrates, 14% fiber, 12% protein, and 3% fat, making them quite high in protein compared to most fruits (5). Main nutrients in a 100-gram serving of fresh mulberries (5)
• Calories (kcal): 43
• Water: 88%
• Protein: 1.4 grams
• Carbohydrates: 9.8 grams
• Sugar: 8.1 grams
• Fiber: 1.7 grams
• Fat: 0.4 grams
Micronutrient Content of White Mulberry Fruit
Mulberries contain high amounts of both iron and vitamin C, as well as adequate amounts of potassium and vitamins E and K. Mulberries contain various plant compounds, such as anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and myricetin.
Minerals: Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium
Vitamins: Vitamin C, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B6, Folate, Choline, Vitamin A (RAE), Beta and Vitamin A (IU), Lutein and Zeaxanthin, Vitamin E, Vitamin K
Amino Acids: Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, GABA
Phytochemicals: Alkaloids, Polyphenols, Flavonoids, Anthocyanins, Resveratrol, Oxyresveratrol, Cyanidin-3-O-β-glucoside (Cy-3-), Cyanidin-3-O-β-rutinoside (Cy-3-rut), Rutin
Bioflavonoids: Rutin, Moracetin, Quercetin-3-Triglucoside Isokercitrin
Essential Oil Content: Acetic acid, Propionic acid, Butyric acid, Isabutanoic acid, Valeric acid, Isovaleric acid, Hexanoic acid, Isohexanoic acid, Methyl Salicylate, Guaiacol, Phenol, Eugenol
Alkaloids: Trigonelline, Choline, Adenine (1.6).
Serving Size: 100 g
Potassium 194 mg
Sodium 10 mg
Magnesium 18 mg
Calcium 39 mg
Vitamin C 36.4 mg
Iron 1.9 mg
Vitamin B6 0.1 mg
Vitamin D 0 IU
Cobalamin 0 µg
Health Benefits of Mulberries
The health benefits of the mulberry, Morus alba (L.), include their ability to improve digestion, lower cholesterol, aid in weight loss, increase blood circulation, build bone tissue, and strengthen the immune system. Mulberry fruits, Morus alba (L.), also help prevent certain cancers, slow the aging process, lower blood pressure, protect the eyes, and improve overall body metabolism (7).
Lower Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an essential fat molecule found in every cell of your body. However, high blood cholesterol levels are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Animal studies show that mulberries and mulberry extracts may reduce excess fat and lower cholesterol levels. They may also improve the ratio between LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol. Additionally, some test-tube studies suggest they reduce fat buildup in the liver, potentially helping prevent fatty liver disease (8, 9, 10).
Blood Sugar Control
People with type 2 diabetes are at risk for rapid increases in blood sugar and should be careful when eating carbohydrates. Mulberries contain the compound 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which inhibits an enzyme in your intestines that breaks down carbohydrates. Therefore, mulberries may be beneficial against diabetes by slowing the rise in blood sugar after meals. Human studies on this topic are not yet sufficient (10, 11). Cancer Risk-Reducing Effect
Increased stress on your body has been shown to cause oxidative damage to cells and tissues, which is associated with an increased risk of cancer. For centuries, mulberries have been a part of traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy against cancer. Some researchers now believe there may be a scientific basis for these reputed anti-cancer effects (12). With their high content of anthocyanins, vitamin C, vitamin A, and various other polyphenolic and phytonutrient compounds, mulberries are absolutely packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants are the main line of defense against free radicals, a dangerous byproduct of cellular metabolism that can damage healthy cells and cause them to mutate into cancer. The diverse antioxidants found in mulberries mean they can quickly neutralize these free radicals before too much damage can occur (7).
As a result, mulberries are one of the most studied plants for their pharmacological potential. Research over the years has clarified the presence of a number of active molecules in mulberries. The mechanism involved in this exciting pharmacological effect has been studied with a significant number of compounds purified from mulberries. Synthetic analogs of these purified compounds have been shown to be effective in treating various diseases. One of the carotenoids found in mulberries is zeaxanthin, which has been directly linked to reducing oxidative stress in certain eye cells, including the retinal macula lutea. Furthermore, zeaxanthin acts as an antioxidant, preventing certain types of damage to the retina, including free radicals that can cause macular degeneration and cataracts. Vitamin C is a powerful defense against any disease or foreign pathogen in the body that antioxidants cannot treat. A single serving of mulberries provides almost all of your daily vitamin C needs, but when you combine it with the minerals and vitamins found in this fruit, you have a true weapon against disease. Add a few mulberries or mulberry powder to your breakfast and watch your immune system boost (7).
Dr. Halil Topuz Agricultural Engineer
Resources
1. Ercisli, S., Orhan, E., 2007. Chemical composition of white (Morus alba), red (Morus rubra) and black (Morus nigra) mulberry fruits. Food Chemistry, 103(4): 1380-1384.
2. Butt, M. S., Nazir, A., Sultan, M. T., and Schoёn, K. 2008. “Morus alba L. Nature’s Functional Tonic.” Trends in Food Science and Technology 19 (10): 505-1219 (10): 505-12
3. Yuan, Q.; Zhao, L. The Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Fruit-A Review of Characteristic Components and Health Benefits. J. Agric. FoodChem. 2017, 65, 10383–10394.
4. Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission Chinese pharmacopoeia (2015)
5. https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/plant-morus-alba
6. https://www.znaturalfoods.com/products/sun-dried-white-mulberries-organic
7. Kadam et al. 2019. The Mulberry, Morus alba (L.): The Medicinal Herbal Source for Human Health Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(4): 2941-2964
8. C.-H. Peng, L.-K. Liu, C.-M. Chuang, C.-C. Chyau, C.-N. Huang, C.-J. Wang Mulberry water extracts possess an anti-obesity effect and ability to inhibit hepatic lipogenesis and promote lipolysis J Agric Food Chem, 59 (2011), pp. 2663-2671
9. J J Chang, M J Hsu, H P Huang, D J Chung, Y C Chang, C J Wang Mulberry anthocyanins inhibit oleic acid induced lipid accumulation by reduction of lipogenesis and promotion of hepatic lipid clearance Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, 61 (2013), pp. 6069-6076
10. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/mulberries#benefits
11. Wang, T. Y., Zhang, X. Q., Chen, A. L., Zhang, J., Lv, B. H., Ma, M. H., et al. (2020). A comparative study of microbial community and functions of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with obesity and healthy people. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 104 (16), 7143–7153. doi:10.1007/s00253-020-10689-7
12. Wang et al. 2010. Molecular basis of traditional Chinese medicine in cancer chemoprevention. Curr Drug Discov Technolgy . 2010 Mar;7(1):67-75
13. Małgorzata Łochyńska; Energy and Nutritional Properties of the White Mulberry (Morus alba L.)Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology A 5 (2015) 709-716.