Antioxidant activity and the potential for cholesterol-lowering of phenolic extract ofMorus alba,Morus multicaulis, andMorus laevigataleaves from Yunnan (China)

Abstract

The free and bound phenolic extracts of leaves from three mulberry species, Morus alba Linn., M. multicaulis Perr., and M. laevigata Wall. from Yunnan (China), were evaluated for the first time to examine their phenolic composition, antioxidant, and cholesterol-lowering capacity in HepG2 cells. The result showed that the total phenolic content of six extracts were ranged from 0.54 to 17.63 mg GAE/g DW, and the total flavonoids content varied from 0.52 to 35.62 mg RE/g DW. Chlorogenic acid, Rutin, and Catechin were the main compounds in the selected mulberries. The antioxidant properties in a positive correlation with the phenolic contents of mulberries were exhibited. The free phenolic extract of M. multicaulis Perr. significantly decrease the intracellular cholesterol content in HepG2 cells. In a word, the free phenolic extracts of M. multicaulis Perr. could be used as for further nutritional studies for cholesterol-lowering in the food and medicine industries. Practical applications Mulberry leaves, especially M. multicaulis could be used for the development of mulberry products by the functional food industry. Actually, attending to their phenolic composition, mulberry leaves could be used for the development of teas and other beverages. Their extracts could also be used as additives to create or fortify foods such as muesli bars, yoghurts, and so on. Moreover, owing to their particular phenolic composition, they can be considered promising sources of phytochemical compounds with proven biological activities. Nevertheless, whether the consumption of a mulberry leaves tea can be beneficial to human health is a question that deserves further works on their bioavailability and biological properties. In addition to these, mulberry leaves also have a significant potential used in medicine industry.