White Mulberry
Encyclopedia
Morus alba, known as white mulberry, is a short-lived, fast-growing, small to medium sized mulberry tree, which grows to 10–20 m tall. The species is native to northern China
, and is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere. It is known as शहतूत in Hindi,Tuta in Sanskrit
and Tuti in Marathi
.
The white mulberry is widely cultivated to feed the silkworms employed in the commercial production of silk
. It is also notable for the rapid release of its pollen
, which is launched at over half the speed of sound.
may be up to 30 cm long, and deeply and intricately lobed, with the lobes rounded. On older trees, the leaves are generally 5–15 cm long, unlobed, cordate at the base and rounded to acuminate at the tip, and serrated on the margins. The leaves are usually deciduous
in winter, but trees grown in tropical regions can be evergreen
. The flower
s are single-sex catkin
s, with catkins of both sexes being present on each tree; male catkins are 2–3.5 cm long, and female catkins 1–2 cm long. The fruit
is 1–2.5 cm long; in the species in the wild it is deep purple, but in many cultivated plants it varies from white to pink; it is sweet but bland, unlike the more intense flavor of the red mulberry
and black mulberry
. The seeds are widely dispersed by birds, which eat the fruit and excrete the seeds.
The white mulberry is scientifically notable for the rapid plant movement
involved in pollen release from its catkins. The stamen
s act as catapults, releasing stored elastic energy in just 25 µs. The resulting movement is approximately 350 miles per hour (563.3 km/h), over half the speed of sound
, making it the fastest known movement in the plant kingdom.
. In 2002, 6,260 km2 of land were devoted to the species in China.
The species is now extensively planted and widely naturalized throughout the warm temperate world. It has been grown widely from India
west through Afghanistan
and Iran
to southern Europe for over a thousand years for leaves to feed silkworms.
More recently, it has become widely naturalized in urban areas of eastern North America, where it hybridizes readily with a locally native red mulberry
(Morus rubra). There is now serious concern for the long-term genetic viability of red mulberry because of extensive hybridization in some areas. As a result, it is listed as an invasive plant in parts of North America.
In traditional Chinese medicine
, the fruit is used to treat prematurely grey hair, to "tonify" the blood, and treat constipation
and diabetes. The bark is used to treat cough, wheezing, edema
, and to promote urination
. It is also used to treat fever, headache, red dry and sore eyes.
For landscaping, a fruitless mulberry was developed from a clone for use in the production of silk
in the U.S. The industry never materialized, but the mulberry variety is now used as an ornamental tree where shade is desired without the fruit. A weeping cultivar of white mulberry, Morus alba 'Pendula', is a popular ornamental plant.
(1 μg ml–1). Time-kill assays indicated that S. mutans was completely inactivated by 20 μg ml–1 kuwanon G within 1 min, while testing against other bacteria suggested that the compound displayed preferential antimicrobial activity against cariogenic bacteria. Electron microscopic examination of S. mutans cells treated with kuwanon G indicated that the mode of antibacterial action was inhibition or blocking of cell growth, as treated cells showed a disintegrated surface and an unclear cell margin.
Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects from freeze-dried powder of mulberry (Morus alba L.) fruit
Neuroprotective effects in in vitro and in vivo (fruit)
Treatment of hyperuricemia and gout
Albanol A(1),isolated from the root bark extract of Morus alba may be a promising lead compound for developing an effective drug for treatment of leukemia.
Moracin M , Steppogenin-4′-O-β-D-glucosiade , Mullberroside A were isolated from the root bark of Morus alba L. and all produced hypoglycemic effects.
A methanol extract of Morus alba roots showed adaptogenic activity, indicating its possible clinical utility as an antistress agent.
Morus alba leaf extract help restore the vascular reactivity of diabetic rats. Free radical-induced vascular dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis of vascular disease found in chronic diabetic patients.
An ethanolic extract of mulberry leaf had antihyperglycemic, antioxidant and antiglycation effects in chronic diabetic rats, which may suggest its use as food supplement for diabetics.
Snakebite
"Morus alba plant leaf extract has been studied against the Indian Vipera/Daboia russelii venom induced local and systemic effects. The extract completely abolished the in vitro proteolytic and hyaluronolytic activities of the venom. Edema, hemorrhage and myonecrotic activities were also neutralized efficiently. In addition, the extract partially inhibited the pro-coagulant activity and completely abolished the degradation of A α chain of human fibrinogen. Thus, the extract processes potent antisnake venom property, especially against the local and systemic effects of Daboia russelii venom."
.
The "White Mulberry Tree" is title of a crucial chapter in Willa Cather
's 1913 novel, O Pioneers!
, in which two forbidden lovers are killed, a reference to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere. It is known as शहतूत in Hindi,Tuta in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Tuti in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
.
The white mulberry is widely cultivated to feed the silkworms employed in the commercial production of silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
. It is also notable for the rapid release of its pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
, which is launched at over half the speed of sound.
Botanical description
On young, vigorous shoots, the leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
may be up to 30 cm long, and deeply and intricately lobed, with the lobes rounded. On older trees, the leaves are generally 5–15 cm long, unlobed, cordate at the base and rounded to acuminate at the tip, and serrated on the margins. The leaves are usually deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
in winter, but trees grown in tropical regions can be evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are single-sex catkin
Catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated but sometimes insect pollinated . They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem which is often drooping...
s, with catkins of both sexes being present on each tree; male catkins are 2–3.5 cm long, and female catkins 1–2 cm long. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is 1–2.5 cm long; in the species in the wild it is deep purple, but in many cultivated plants it varies from white to pink; it is sweet but bland, unlike the more intense flavor of the red mulberry
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra, commonly known as the Red Mulberry, is a species of mulberry native to eastern North America, from Ontario and Vermont south to southern Florida and west to southeast South Dakota and central Texas...
and black mulberry
Black Mulberry
Morus nigra, the Black mulberry, is a species of mulberry. It is native to southwestern Asia, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown.-Description:...
. The seeds are widely dispersed by birds, which eat the fruit and excrete the seeds.
The white mulberry is scientifically notable for the rapid plant movement
Rapid plant movement
Rapid plant movement encompasses movement in plant structures occurring over a very short period of time, usually under one second. For example, the Venus Flytrap closes its trap in about 100 milliseconds. The Dogwood Bunchberry's flower opens its petals and fires pollen in less than 0.5 milliseconds...
involved in pollen release from its catkins. The stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s act as catapults, releasing stored elastic energy in just 25 µs. The resulting movement is approximately 350 miles per hour (563.3 km/h), over half the speed of sound
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
, making it the fastest known movement in the plant kingdom.
Cultivation
Cultivation of white mulberry for silkworms began over four thousand years ago in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In 2002, 6,260 km2 of land were devoted to the species in China.
The species is now extensively planted and widely naturalized throughout the warm temperate world. It has been grown widely from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
west through Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to southern Europe for over a thousand years for leaves to feed silkworms.
More recently, it has become widely naturalized in urban areas of eastern North America, where it hybridizes readily with a locally native red mulberry
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra, commonly known as the Red Mulberry, is a species of mulberry native to eastern North America, from Ontario and Vermont south to southern Florida and west to southeast South Dakota and central Texas...
(Morus rubra). There is now serious concern for the long-term genetic viability of red mulberry because of extensive hybridization in some areas. As a result, it is listed as an invasive plant in parts of North America.
Uses
White mulberry leaves are the preferred feedstock for silkworms, and are also cut for food for livestock (cattle, goats, etc.) in areas where dry seasons restrict the availability of ground vegetation. The fruit are also eaten, often dried or made into wine.In traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, the fruit is used to treat prematurely grey hair, to "tonify" the blood, and treat constipation
Constipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
and diabetes. The bark is used to treat cough, wheezing, edema
Edema
Edema or oedema ; both words from the Greek , oídēma "swelling"), formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in one or more cavities of the body that produces swelling...
, and to promote urination
Urination
Urination, also known as micturition, voiding, peeing, weeing, pissing, and more rarely, emiction, is the ejection of urine from the urinary bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. In healthy humans the process of urination is under voluntary control...
. It is also used to treat fever, headache, red dry and sore eyes.
For landscaping, a fruitless mulberry was developed from a clone for use in the production of silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
in the U.S. The industry never materialized, but the mulberry variety is now used as an ornamental tree where shade is desired without the fruit. A weeping cultivar of white mulberry, Morus alba 'Pendula', is a popular ornamental plant.
Medicinal Uses
Dental caries: The root bark of Morus alba (Moraceae) has been used as a traditional medicine in Asian countries and exhibits antibacterial activity against food poisoning micro-organisms. Using activity against S. mutans in bioassay-guided fractionation of a methanol extract of dried root bark, and organic solvent fractions of this extract, the active antibacterial constituent was identified as kuwanon G. The compound displayed an MIC of 8 μg ml–1 against S. mutans, which was comparable to chlorhexidine and vancomycinVancomycin
Vancomycin INN is a glycopeptide antibiotic used in the prophylaxis and treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. It has traditionally been reserved as a drug of "last resort", used only after treatment with other antibiotics had failed, although the emergence of...
(1 μg ml–1). Time-kill assays indicated that S. mutans was completely inactivated by 20 μg ml–1 kuwanon G within 1 min, while testing against other bacteria suggested that the compound displayed preferential antimicrobial activity against cariogenic bacteria. Electron microscopic examination of S. mutans cells treated with kuwanon G indicated that the mode of antibacterial action was inhibition or blocking of cell growth, as treated cells showed a disintegrated surface and an unclear cell margin.
Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects from freeze-dried powder of mulberry (Morus alba L.) fruit
Neuroprotective effects in in vitro and in vivo (fruit)
Treatment of hyperuricemia and gout
Albanol A(1),isolated from the root bark extract of Morus alba may be a promising lead compound for developing an effective drug for treatment of leukemia.
Moracin M , Steppogenin-4′-O-β-D-glucosiade , Mullberroside A were isolated from the root bark of Morus alba L. and all produced hypoglycemic effects.
A methanol extract of Morus alba roots showed adaptogenic activity, indicating its possible clinical utility as an antistress agent.
Morus alba leaf extract help restore the vascular reactivity of diabetic rats. Free radical-induced vascular dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis of vascular disease found in chronic diabetic patients.
An ethanolic extract of mulberry leaf had antihyperglycemic, antioxidant and antiglycation effects in chronic diabetic rats, which may suggest its use as food supplement for diabetics.
Other uses
An acidified methanolic extract of the fruit of morus alba can be used as an acid-base indicator in acid-base titrations. Titration shows sharp colour change at the equivalence point. This is a natural indicator that is useful, economical, simple and accurate for determining acids and bases.Snakebite
"Morus alba plant leaf extract has been studied against the Indian Vipera/Daboia russelii venom induced local and systemic effects. The extract completely abolished the in vitro proteolytic and hyaluronolytic activities of the venom. Edema, hemorrhage and myonecrotic activities were also neutralized efficiently. In addition, the extract partially inhibited the pro-coagulant activity and completely abolished the degradation of A α chain of human fibrinogen. Thus, the extract processes potent antisnake venom property, especially against the local and systemic effects of Daboia russelii venom."
In culture
An etiological Babylonian story that was later incorporated into Greek and Roman mythology attributes the reddish purple color of the white mulberry (Morus alba) fruits to the tragic deaths of the lovers Pyramus and ThisbePyramus and Thisbe
Pyramus and Thisbe are two characters of Roman mythology, whose love story of ill-fated lovers is also a sentimental romance.The tale is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses.-Plot:...
.
The "White Mulberry Tree" is title of a crucial chapter in Willa Cather
Willa Cather
Willa Seibert Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains, in works such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours , a novel set during World War I...
's 1913 novel, O Pioneers!
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by American author Willa Cather. It was written in part when Cather was living in Cherry Valley, New York, with Isabelle McClung and was completed at the McClungs' home in Pittsburgh...
, in which two forbidden lovers are killed, a reference to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe.
External links
- U.S. Forest Service Invasive Species Weed of the Week
- USDA GRIN White Mulberry
- http://www.cirrusimage.com/tree_white_mulberry.htmDiagnostic photos, Morton ArboretumMorton ArboretumThe Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, Illinois, covers 1,700 acres and is made up of gardens of various plant types and collections of trees from specific taxonomical and geographical areas. It includes native woodlands and a restored Illinois prairie. The Arboretum has over 4,100 different species of...
acc. 380*82-1] - USDA NRCS Plants Profile, Morus alba