1.1 Nutritional values Mulberry leaves
The main components of mulberry leaves with pharmacological properties
are phenols, polysaccharides, steroids, amino acids, lignins, and
volatile components. The leaves of mulberry are also a good source of
ascorbic acid. It contains carotene, vitamin B1, folic acid, folinic
acid, and vitamin D. The nutritional composition of mulberry leaves in
dry condition is 15.31-30.91% protein, 2.09-7.92% fat, 9.9-13.85%
crude fiber, 27.60-43.6% neutral dietary fiber (NDF) and 11.3-17.24%
ash [9]. Evidence suggests that mulberry leaves also contain some
additional therapeutic agents such as Moran 20k and 1-deoxynojirimycin
(DNJ) as antidiabetic agents, and isoprene-substituted flavanones such
as Kuwanon C and kuwanon as antimicrobial agents [10,11]. The
nutritional values are shown in Figure 1.