Black Mulberry: Nutritional Powerhouse and Medicinal Marvel

Black mulberry (Morus nigra) is a versatile plant found worldwide, renowned for its rich nutritional profile and medicinal properties. The ripe berries, twigs, and root bark of this plant are utilized in various medicinal applications, with the ripe berries also being consumed as a delicious fruit.

Black mulberries are particularly noted for their low caloric content, with just 43 calories per 100 grams. Despite being low in calories, they are packed with health-enhancing phytonutrients, including polyphenol pigment antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, lipids, protein, dietary fiber, and high water content. These components make them an excellent choice for health-conscious individuals. The fruit is a rich source of vitamins K and C and contains small amounts of vitamins A and E, essential for maintaining overall health.

One of the key health benefits of black mulberries lies in their high pectin content, which may act as a natural laxative. Additionally, the chemicals found in the fruit and twigs of the black mulberry have demonstrated potential blood sugar-lowering effects, making them beneficial for individuals managing diabetes. Research has identified 55 bioactive polyphenols in black mulberries, including anthocyanins such as procyanidins, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside, as well as flavonols, flavanones, and phenolic acids like gallic acid and ellagic acid. These compounds are known for their potent antioxidant properties, which can help combat oxidative stress and inflammation.

Moreover, black mulberries are rich in flavonoids, polysaccharides, and ascorbic acid, which contribute to their multiple biological activities. They possess hepatoprotective properties, helping to protect the liver from damage, hypo-lipidemic effects that aid in lowering lipid levels in the blood, and anti-apoptotic properties that prevent cell death.

The high sugar content of black mulberries makes them a popular ingredient in the food and beverage industry. They are used in various products, including marmalade, fondant jams, jellies, cakes, breads, parathas, fruit teas, fruit drink pulp, fruit wine, fruit sauce, fruit powder, and chocolate. Additionally, these fruits are utilized in dried, frozen, or fresh forms to produce syrups, amaretto or vermouth wine, tonic wine, and vinegar, showcasing their versatility.

In summary, black mulberries are a nutrient-dense fruit with numerous health benefits and applications in the food industry. Their rich composition of vitamins, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds underscores their value as both a dietary and medicinal resource.
Black Mulberry: Nutritional Powerhouse and Medicinal Marvel

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of black mulberry

Mulberry plants belonging to the Moraceae family have been grown for the purpose of being the nutrient source for silk worm and raw materials for the preparation of jams, marmalades, vinegars, juices, wines, and cosmetics.

Mulberries contain 70% carbs, 14% fiber, 12% protein, and 3% fat — making them fairly high in protein compared to most berries. Mulberries are rich in many vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C and iron.

Morus nigra L. (black mulberry) is the Morus species with the highest chromosome number. It originated in Iran, but is grown throughout southern Europe, southwest Asia, the Mediterranean countries, and South America.

Black mulberry exhibited an excellent wide-spectrum of biological and pharmacological therapeutic effects including antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-melanogenic, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anticancer activities. Studies have shown that plants belonging to the Morus genus are rich in secondary metabolites such as flavonoids which are associated with important biological activities as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.

Inflammation is defined as a set of physiological defense mechanisms taking place in the body. In these processes, a variety of chemical mediators are released from damaged tissue including excitatory amino acids, hydrogen ions, peptides, lipids, and cytokines. Primarily inflammation is essential to protect the body against pathogens or dangerous cells. However, abnormal regulation of this process can result in destruction of cells or disturbed cellular metabolism, which often contributes to chronic diseases characterized by a low grade of inflammation.

Studies have highlighted that regular consumption of natural plants with anti-inflammatory activities can help in the treatment of acute chronic inflammation. Black mulberries have been used as herbal medicines for animals and humans due to their analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.

Many studies have found that black mulberry is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which are responsible for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

A very recent study has shown that extracts of M. nigra pulps and leaves can improve survival rate and decrease the number of total leukocytes in bronchoalveloar lavage fluid in LPS-induced septic mice, indicating the reduction of inflammatory infiltrate in the lung (Oxid. Med. Cell Longev. 2018, 2018, 5048031).
Anti-Inflammatory Activity of black mulberry

Black mulberry in history

Morus nigra L., also called black mulberry, is native to Southwestern Asia. It has been grown throughout Europe and around the Mediterranean for centuries.

The term, Morus, comes from the Latin word ‘mora’, meaning delay, probably because of the very slow development of its buds. An alternative explanation is that it comes from the Celtic ‘mor’ (black), referring to the colour of the fruit.

Black mulberry is believed to have originated from Iran. It was known to the Greeks and Romans before the Christian era. Black mulberry was one of the first to be adapted and cultivated for its fruits, not only for food but also for medicinal purposes, by Greeks and Romans.

It was also cultivated in ancient Egypt. It is the most important species in the Mediterranean countries. The black mulberry (Turkish name “Kara Dut”) is widely grown in Turkey for its delicious edible fruits.

It was reported that M. nigra was cultivated in classical times in Italy, and was grown in Greece and Italy for the silk worm industry until the introduction of Morus alba, which is of greater nutritive value for silk worms.

The tree was introduced into America for silkworm culture in early colonial times and naturalized and hybridized with the native red mulberry.

According to a classical fable, the fruit of mulberry was once white but got reddened by the tragic lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe, a story parodied by Shakespeare in Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Black mulberry in history

Medicinal properties of black mulberry

Black mulberry (Morus nigra) is a handsome deciduous tree belonging to Moraceae family which has been domesticated over thousands of years.

Black mulberry is native to Southwestern Asia, and it has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for animals and humans.

Black mulberry was one of the first to be adapted and cultivated for its fruits, not only for food but also for medicinal purposes, by Greeks and Romans.

The fruits and leaves of black mulberry plants contain many bioactive components, such as alkaloids, anthocyanins and flavonoids. M. nigra fruits had more anthocyanin and flavonol contents than other species.

Mulberry fruit contain the high amount of anthocyanins and it is generally used for nutritive and therapeutic purposes. It has been reported that cyanidin 3-rutinosid and cyanidin 3-glucosid of Morus alba L. exerted depending on applied concentration an inhibitory effect on the migration and invasion of A549 carcinome cells in the human lungs with massive metastasis without cytotoxicity.

M. nigra is rich in resveratrol and oxyresveratrol compounds. Resveratrol and oxyresveratrol are potent antioxidants and free radical scavengers. Resveratrol has neuroprotective and cardioprotective properties.

Flavonoids have long been recognized to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiallergic, hepatoprotective, antithrombotic, antiviral and anticarcinogenic activities.

Morin (3, 5, 7, 2’ ,4’ -pentahydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid present in mulberry and several herbs. The former studies declared that morin affect the inflammation process in the case of active macrophages and is able to reduce the risk of septic shock.
Medicinal properties of black mulberry

Black mulberry

Black mulberry (Morus nigra) is a member of genus Morus of Moraceae family which has been domesticated over thousands of years. Naturally the black mulberry is now well adapted to a wide range of tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of Asia, Europe, North and South America.

In Asian countries, mulberry plants have been grown for the production of silk worms (Bombyx mori L.), because their leaves are a major and important nutrient source for silk worms.

Morus nigra is believed to have originated from Iran. It was known to the Greeks and Romans before the Christian era. It was also cultivated in ancient Egypt. The tree was introduced into America for silkworm culture in early colonial times and naturalized and hybridized with the native red mulberry. The red or American mulberry is native to eastern United States from Massachusetts to Kansas and down to the Gulf coast.

Most European countries have usually used mulberry fruits to prepare jams, marmalades, vinegars, juices, wine, distillates or canned goods and cosmetic products.

Various parts of mulberry plants have also been used as traditional herbal medicines. Presence of proanthocyanins and anthocyanes makes the fruit suitable for application in some types of cancer and have positive effect on regeneration tissues after the ischemic stroke, and supports the kidney function.

Mulberries are an excellent source of iron, which is a rare feature among berries. They are rich in B-complex group of vitamins and vitamin K and contain good amounts of niacin, pyridoxine and riboflavin. These vitamins function as co-factors and are helpful in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

The leaves contain high amount of calcium carbonate, adenine, glucose, mineral salts and tannin with antibacterial effects; hence, applied for treatment of cold and fever, headache, for stimulation of the insulin production, in cases of snake bites or as antidote in case of poisoning with Aconitum napellus.
Black mulberry