1.5 Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are the main active bioactive components of mulberry leaves. Polysaccharides are long-chain macromolecular polymers that are generally used as thickeners and gelling agents in the food industry because of their ability to retain water and form hydrogels. These mulberry leaf polysaccharides have received increasing attention because of their multiple biological activities. These polysaccharides promote insulin expression and regulate liver glucose metabolism [18]. In mulberry leaves, polysaccharides are mainly present in the inner epidermal cells [19]. Glucose, galactose, arabinose, fructose, xylose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, mannose, and sorbose are monosaccharides that combine with each other and form many types of polysaccharides in mulberry leaves [20].