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Abstract
Mulberry leaves are rich in biologically active compounds, including phenolics, polysaccharides, and alkaloids. Mulberry leaf iminosugars (MLIs; a type of polyhydroxylated alkaloids), in particular, have been gaining increasing attention due to their health-promoting effects, including anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, and gut microbiota-modulatory activities. Knowledge regarding the in vivo bioavailability and bioactivity of MLIs are crucial to understand their role and function and human health. Therefore, this review is aimed to comprehensively summarize the existing studies on the oral pharmacokinetics and the physiological significance of selected MLIs (i.e.,1-deoxynojirimycin, d-fagomine, and 2-O-ɑ-d-galactopyranosyl-DNJ). Evidence have suggested that MLIs possess relatively good uptake and safety profiles, which support their prospective use for oral intake; the therapeutic potential of these compounds against metabolic and chronic disorders and the underlying mechanisms behind these effects have also been studied in in vitro and in vivo models. Also discussed are the biosynthetic pathways of MLIs in plants, as well as the agronomic and processing factors that affect their concentration in mulberry leaves-derived products.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Table 1. Human clinical studies on the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-obesity properties of DNJ.
Table 2. Bioactivities of MLIs in cell culture and animal models.
Funding
The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.