White Mulberry

Scientific Name(s): Morus alba L.
Common Name(s): Common mulberry, Mulberry, Pawi bush, Silkworm mulberry, White mulberry

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 4, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

The medical literature includes numerous references for white mulberry use in atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, infection, and neurodegenerative disorders. However, there are no clinical trials to support these uses.

Dosing

In mild dyslipidemia, 1 g of white mulberry leaf tablets containing 1.3 mg of 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) 3 times a day before meals has been used. A dose of 1 g of powdered leaf 3 times a day has been used to treat diabetes or high cholesterol. White mulberry is available in numerous dosage forms and is also marketed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and to support cardiovascular health.

Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to any of the components of white mulberry.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avoid use during pregnancy and lactation due to lack of clinical data.

Interactions

Because white mulberry may alter blood sugar levels, it should be used cautiously with medications (eg, insulin) that lower blood sugar in diabetes. White mulberry may also increase the side effects of cholesterol-lowering medications and should also be used with caution in patients using benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or antidepressants. White mulberry may also interact with medications used for gout.

Adverse Reactions

The pollen extract may cause airborne-contact urticaria. Patients with nasobronchial allergies may be sensitive to the pollen extract. One clinical study found that some patients experienced mild diarrhea, dizziness, constipation, and bloating.

Toxicology

No deaths were associated with 2, 5, and 10 g/kg doses in animal toxicity studies.

Scientific Family

• Moreaceae

Botany

The genus Morus is widely distributed throughout the world. As the primary food source for silkworms, the plant is cultivated in many regions of Asia for silk production. White mulberry is a medium-sized, monoecious, deciduous tree growing to 30 m tall and 1.8 m wide in both temperate and tropical areas. The leaves are ovately shaped and may be lobed or unlobed. The fruit is white to pinkish in color, in contrast to red or black in most other Morus species.1, 2

History

The medicinal use of the leaves, root bark, branches, and fruits of white mulberry is documented in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. It is also an official drug of the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. It has been included in historical documents since AD 659. The root bark has cathartic and anthelmintic properties and is bitter in taste. The root juice agglutinates the blood and also kills worms in the digestive system. The stem bark has purgative and vermifuge properties. The leaves have diaphoretic and emollient properties, and the leaf juice has been used to prevent throat infections and inflammation. The fruit juice has a cooling and laxative property and is used to treat fevers, colds, diarrhea, malaria, amoebiasis, constipation, and intestinal worms (eg, tapeworm).2, 3

The fruits may be eaten fresh and are used in juice, preserves, and stews, 4 and can be fermented into a sweet and sour tasting wine. White mulberry leaves are used in animal feed for sheep, goats, and cattle.5 Mulberries are used in syrup preparations as well as to flavor and color medicine: in Chinese markets, mulberry is mixed with various herb combinations to cu...