What is Mulberry Leaf?
If you have not seen mulberry leaves before, just watch the below image with the leaf in hand, and that’s it!
Mulberry leaves are the leaves of mulberry trees.
The traditional use is only the mulberry leaves used as a single-feeding insect—the silkworm’s feed.
It has a single application in the past.
With the research, development, and utilization of sericulture resources, mulberry leaves are used for medicinal and forage.
Further research has been done on aspects such as consumption.
In 1993, the Ministry of Health determined that mulberry leaves are both food and medicine.
Whether it is health prevention or beauty, the nutritional value of mulberry leaves is very high. The mulberry leaves are dried and processed into a bag of tea by directly soaking in water for drinking or smashing.
Chemical Constituents of Mulberry leaves
Mulberry leaves are rich in nutrients and have many unique natural active substances. Experiments show that 100g dried mulberry leaves contain 15-30g of protein, 4–10g of crude fat, 8-15g of crude fiber, 8-12g of coarse ash, 30-40mg of vitamin E, and 0.5-vitamin B1. 0.8mg, vitamin B2 0.8-1.5mg, vitamin E 30-40mg, vitamin B11 0.5-0.6mg, vitamin B5 3-5mg, β-carotene 2-3mg, Mulberry leaves also contain many natural active substances, such as flavonoids, v-aminobutyric acid, 1-deoxynojirimycin, etc.
1-DNJ is the main active ingredient in the mulberry leaf extract and It should be noted that the 1-DNJ that makes mulberry leaves have medicinal value.
Then, what is 1-DNJ?
Product name: 1-Deoxynojirimycin
Other names: 1-DNJ
Specification: 1%-5% HPLC
Appearance: brown yellow powder
Molecular formula: C6H13NO4
Molecular weight: 163.17
CAS No.: 19130-96-2
1-DNJ, the full name of 1-Deoxynojirimycin, is a natural alkaloid found from mulberry (Morus Alba L.). In addition to mulberry trees, several plants and microorganisms such as hyacinth, wild grass, and Bacillus have also been found to contain small amounts of DNJ. However, the 1-DNJ content in mulberry trees is much higher than other plants and microorganisms found. The 1-DNJ in mulberry is mainly distributed in the leaves, roots, and branches of mulberry trees, among which the 1-DNJ content in mulberry leaves is high (about one-thousandth of the dry weight). Moreover, mulberry leaves account for the most significant proportion of the total mulberry trunk material, about 65%. Therefore, mulberry leaves have now become the primary source of natural 1-DNJ.
Mulberry leaf extract health benefits
The mulberry leaf extract contains not only the main functional molecule 1-DNJ for lowering blood sugar but also other active molecules such as alkaloids and mulberry polysaccharides with specific hypoglycemic effects, such as Fagomine, DAB and 4-Hydroxyhygrinic acid. These active molecules work synergistically in the human body to effectively regulate blood sugar levels and exert various medicinal values.
Mulberry leaf extract for diabetes
Mulberry leaf extract may be helpful to diabetes, and works in below three aspects:
As an α-glucosidase inhibitor
Mulberry leaf extract delays the absorption of sugar in food and reduces postprandial blood glucose.
1-DNJ is a natural and potent α-glucosidase inhibitor, it competitively binds α-glucosidase in the small intestine, and has a higher affinity than disaccharides such as sucrose and maltose and α-glucosidase, reducing disaccharide and the probability of α-glucosidase binding, thereby inhibiting the decomposition of disaccharide into glucose, a large amount of sugar is not absorbed and is sent to the large intestine. Due to the action of 1-DNJ, there is less glucose in the blood, so blood sugar is worth maintaining at a healthy level.
As a glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor
Mulberry extract inhibits the decomposition of hepatic glycogen and stabilizes fasting blood sugar.
Hepatic glycogen can be broken down into glucose by the action of glycogen phosphorylase, released into the blood, supplied to muscles and other organs, and is a source of energy for providing physical activity. With the mutual transformation of hepatic glycogen and glucose, ordinary people’s blood sugar is in a dynamic balance. In diabetic patients, excessive hepatic glycogen is broken down into glucose, which leads to an abnormal increase in fasting blood glucose levels. 1-DNJ can achieve a stable fasting blood glucose by inhibiting the activity of glycogen phosphorylase and preventing excessive hepatic glycogen from decomposing into glucose and causing an increase in blood glucose level.
Improving insulin resistance
Insulin resistance refers to various reasons (mainly including genetic factors and obesity), which makes insulin promote glucose uptake and utilization efficiency, and the body compensates for excessive insulin secretion — thereby producing hyperinsulinemia to maintain the stability of blood sugar in the body. If the human body is in a state of insulin resistance for a long time, it will significantly increase the burden on the pancreas, which may cause the pancreas to secrete insulin function and develop into diabetes.
1-DNJ can improve the symptoms of insulin resistance by maintaining healthy blood sugar, correcting lipid metabolism, and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Mulberry leaf extract for weight loss
1-DNJ can block the saccharolytic enzyme and reduce the probability of decomposition of starch into glucose after consumption, achieving weight loss. A variety of active substances of mulberry leaf extract can inhibit lipogenesis and stimulate lipolysis and have potential effects in the treatment of obesity.
Mulberry leaf extract for skin lightening
It can be used for skin whitening because it can reduce the skin’s melanin content, contains vitamin C and β-carotene, and has an antioxidant capacity, which can reduce free radical damage and reduce cancer risk.
Side effects of mulberry leaf extract
1-DNJ is a natural product derived from mulberry leaves. It is not artificially synthesized and has excellent safety and no side effects.
No gastrointestinal side effects: 1-DNJ does not have frequent nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and other symptoms.
Does not affect liver and kidney health: 1-DNJ does not need to be metabolized by the liver, the residence time is short, and it will not damage the liver and kidney function of the human body.
Pharmacokinetic tests showed that 1-DNJ has a short residence time and no toxic accumulation; no hepatic metabolism is required, and it is secreted by the prototype without metabolic by-products.
How much mulberry leaf extract should I take?
Prevention of diabetes: Take 125mg of 5% 1-DNJ before meals, three times a day.
Adjuvant therapy for diabetes: take 5% 1-DNJ of 250mg before meals, three times a day while taking hypoglycemic drugs
Is mulberry leaf extract safe?
Because 1-DNJ can significantly reduce blood sugar levels after a meal. The peak blood glucose level decreased by 26.7%, and the peak area of blood glucose dropped by 52.2%. The effect of 160 mg mulberry leaf extract (containing 5% 1-DNJ) is equivalent to that of 50 mg miglitol, so caution should be exercised when treating diabetes (such as insulin) to lower blood sugar. Mulberry extract 1-DNJ may also increase the side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs and should be used with caution in patients taking benzodiazepines, barbiturates or antidepressants. White mulberry may also interact with gout drugs.
Where to buy mulberry leaf extract?
Wuxi Cima Science Co., Ltd has been worked on a mulberry project for several years and selected the best raw material for extraction production.
Cima can offer the specification of Mulberry leaf extract which is 1%, 2%, 3%, 5% 1-Deoxynojirimycin.
