Morus alba.  桑 树 Sāng shù Mulberry tree  Family: Moraceae     
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.
桑 叶 Sāng yè   Mulberry Leaf - Harvested in Autumn, after the first frost      
Nature: Cool, cold    FLAVOR: Bitter, sweet, pleasant    CHANNEL: Lung, Liver.
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Exterior Clearing- Cooling
1. Disperse Wind Heat,[1,3,4,5,6] from the Lungs.[7]
2. Clear Liver Fire. Sharpen vision.  Benefits eyesight. Clear Liver.[6] Clear Heat from the Liver to improve acuity of vision.[7]
3. Open the depressed Lung Energy and relieve cough. Clear Heat away from the Lung to arrest cough.
4. Cool Blood.[7] Stop bleeding.[7]
5. Relieve night sweating.
6. Carminative.[1] Antipyretic.[1,6]
INDICATIONS- For beginning stage of fever.[6]
1. Exopathogenic Wind Heat or Epidemic febrile diseases at the early stage: fever, dizziness, headache, cough, and swollen and sore throat.[7] Common cold. High temperature.[6] Fever from Colds, headache and blood shot eyes..[1]
2. Liver Fire or Wind Heat in the Liver channel causing conjunctival congestion with dryness, pain and delacrimation. Liver Fire syndrome with redness, swelling and pain of  the eye, for blurring of vision due to hyperfunction of Liver. Headache. Bloodshot eyes.[6] Dizziness.[6] Eye problems due to either Wind Heat or Yin deficiency with symptoms of red, sore, dry or painful eyes, or spots in front of the eyes.[7]
3. Impairment of the Lung by pathogenic Dry Heat,[7] manifesting as cough with thick yellow sputum,[7] dryness in the nose and throat.[7] Hematemesis and hemoptysis of Blood Heat type. Hot pulmonary coughing,[7] sore throat,[1,7] toothache.[1] Coughing due to Lung Heat.[1,6]
4. Kidney and Liver Yin deficiency:[6] Blurred vision, headache.
5. Disperses phlegm.
6. Vomiting of blood tu to Heat in the Blood.[7]
External application- Exernal wash for eye problems.[7]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS:  Decoction   Leaves   4-9 g. [1,3,5]
Powder 6-9 g for night sweat.[4] 6-12 g.[6] Can be made into bolus and powder.[5] 4.5-15 g.[7] Good quality has large and thick leaves that are complete, crisp, and yellow-green in color.[7]
    
桑 枝 Sāng zhī   Mulberry twigs- harvested in late Spring or early Summer.      
   FLAVOR: Slightly bitter, sweet  CHANNELS: Liver
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Wind Damp Dispersing
1. Dispels Wind, unblocks the channels, and benefits the joints.[7] Clears Jing luo. Passage clearing.[1] Regulate channels and Wind.[6]
2. Analgesic.[6]
3. Carminative.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Wind Damp painful obstruction, especially in the upper extremities.[7] Rheumatic numbness and pain.[1] Blockage in Jing luo, spasms of hands and feet.[1] Wind Damp painful obstruction- Acute or chronic arthritis or rheumatism.[6] Difficulty in movement.[6]
2. Edema.[7]
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction. Dry tender branch 10-20 g.[3] Used alone or in combination with other herbs.
Decoction 9-30 g.[1,7] Good quality is fine and delicate with a yellowish white cross section.
桑 白 皮 Sāng bái pí  Mulberry bark,  Dry root bark - harvested in Winter      
      FLAVOR: Sweet, acrid, pleasant CHANNELS: Lung, Spleen
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Antitussive and Expectorant Clearing- Breathing
1. Stops coughing and wheezing and drains Heat from the Lungs.[7] Relieves Lung congestion.[1]  Sedate Lung.
2. Promotes urination and reduces edem.[1,7] Benefit water.
INDICATIONS
1. Coughing and wheezing due to Lung Heat.[1,7] Used in disorder where Lung Heat obstructs the downward movement of Lung Qi, preventing water from moving and cuttting off perspiration. This manifests as floating edema, facial edema,[1,7] swelling of the extremities, fever and thirst, difficulty in urination, and a floating pulse.[7]
2. Excessive sputum production, difficult urination.[1]
3. Hypertension, used recently.[7]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Excessive urination, and for cough due to Wind Cold.[7]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Dry root bark   Decoction  4-9 g.[1,3] 6-15 g.[7] The herb is honey-fired when used to stop coughing and wheezing. Good quality is thick, powdery, and white.

Mulberry Fruit
桑 椹 子 Sāng zhēn zǐ, Sang ren   Mulberry fruit, Mulberry ear     
Nature: Cold, warm, slightly cooling  FLAVOR: Sweet, sour, pleasant, tart    CHANNEL: Heart, Liver ,Kidney
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Nourishing Blood
1. Nourish Yin and Blood.[1,4] Strengthens Kidney.[1] Tone up Liver, benefit Kidneys.[3]
2. Moisturise dryness. Produce fluids.[3]
3. Calm the Wind. Aids vision.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Blood deficiency leading to Wind- Blood Yin deficiency or stirring up of Wind Yang manifested as dizziness,  tinnitus, vexation and insomnia. Agitation and insomnia.[1] Blurred vision,[1] white patches in hair and beard.[1]
2. Kidney Yin deficiency  Pain in back and knees,[1] deafness,[1] stiffness of muscle and joints.[1]
3. Dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, palpitation, premature grey hair, constipation due to blood deficiency.[3]
3. Constipation due to Yin deficiency of Intestines- Constipation due to Yin deficiency and dryness of the intestine. Hot intestines and constipation.[1]  Diabetes due to Yin deficiency  and insufficiency of fluid.
4. Recently used for anaemia, neurasthenia, diabetes mellitus and hypertension of Yin deficiency type.
PATENT COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction 15-30 g.[4]  Decoction dry fruit 9-15 g.[1,3]
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents.
Research
Extracts of M. alba are hypoglycemic, slightly antispasmodic and hypotensive in rats.
Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves and their major flavonol quercetin 3-(6-malonylglucoside) attenuate atherosclerotic lesion development in LDL receptor-deficient mice.
Enkhmaa B, Shiwaku K, Katsube T, Kitajima K, Anuurad E, Yamasaki M, Yamane Y.
Abstract
The effects of dietary consumption of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves and their major flavonol glycoside, quercetin 3-(6-malonylglucoside) (Q3MG), on the development of atherosclerotic lesions, in relation to the susceptibility of plasma LDL to oxidative modification, was studied in LDL receptor-deficient (LDLR-/-) mice. Male mice aged 8 wk were randomly assigned to 4 groups (control, quercetin, Q3MG, and mulberry). The control group was fed an atherogenic-diet containing 3 g cholesterol and 15 g cocoa butter/100 g. The other experimental groups were fed the same atherogenic diet supplemented with 0.05 g quercetin/100 g for the quercetin group, 0.05 g Q3MG/100 g for the Q3MG group, and 3 g dried mulberry-leaf powder/100 g for the mulberry group. The mice were fed their respective diets for 8 wk. The susceptibility of LDL to oxidative modification was significantly decreased in the Q3MG- and mulberry-treated mice, as evidenced by the 44.3 and 42.2% prolongation of the lag phase for conjugated diene formation compared with that of the control mice. The atherosclerotic lesion area in both the Q3MG- and mulberry-treated mice was significantly reduced by 52% compared with that of the controls. However, in the quercetin group, no protective effects were observed against LDL oxidation or atherosclerotic lesion formation. In conclusion, mulberry leaves attenuated the atherosclerotic lesion development in LDLR-/- mice through enhancement of LDL resistance to oxidative modification, and these antioxidative and antiatherogenic protective effects were attributed mainly to Q3MG, the quantitatively major flavonol glycoside in mulberry leaves.
PMID: 15795425 J Nutr. 2005 Apr;135(4):729-34. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical trials of Morus alba.
Chan EW, Lye PY, Wong SK.
Abstract
The present review is aimed at providing a comprehensive summary on the botany, utility, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical trials of Morus alba (mulberry or sang shu). The mulberry foliage has remained the primary food for silkworms for centuries. Its leaves have also been used as animal feed for livestock and its fruits have been made into a variety of food products. With flavonoids as major constituents, mulberry leaves possess various biological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, skin-whitening, cytotoxic, anti-diabetic, glucosidase inhibition, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-obesity, cardioprotective, and cognitive enhancement activities. Rich in anthocyanins and alkaloids, mulberry fruits have pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-obesity, and hepatoprotective activities. The root bark of mulberry, containing flavonoids, alkaloids and stilbenoids, has antimicrobial, skin-whitening, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidemic properties. Other pharmacological properties of M. alba include anti-platelet, anxiolytic, anti-asthmatic, anthelmintic, antidepressant, cardioprotective, and immunomodulatory activities. Clinical trials on the efficiency of M. alba extracts in reducing blood glucose and cholesterol levels and enhancing cognitive ability have been conducted. The phytochemistry and pharmacology of the different parts of the mulberry tree confer its traditional and current uses as fodder, food, cosmetics, and medicine. Overall, M. alba is a multi-functional plant with promising medicinal properties.
Chin J Nat Med. 2016 Jan;14(1):17-30. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1009.2016.00017. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Morus alba extract modulates blood pressure homeostasis through eNOS signaling.
Carrizzo A, Ambrosio M, Damato A, Madonna M, Storto M, Capocci L, Campiglia P, Sommella E, Trimarco V, Rozza F, Izzo R, Puca AA, Vecchione C.
Abstract
SCOPE:
Morus alba is a promising phytomedicine cultivated in oriental countries that is extensively used to prevent and treat various cardiovascular problems. To date, despite its beneficial effects, the molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. Thus, we investigate the vascular and haemodynamic effects of Morus alba extract in an experimental model focusing our attention on the molecular mechanisms involved.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
Through vascular reactivity studies, we demonstrate that Morus alba extract evokes endothelial vasorelaxation through a nitric oxide-dependent pathway. Our molecular analysis highlights an increase in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation. In vivo administration of Morus alba extract reduces blood pressure levels exclusively in wild-type mice, whereas it fails to evoke any haemodynamic effects in eNOS-deficient mice. Molecular analyses revealed that its beneficial action on vasculature is mediated by the activation of two important proteins that act as stress sensors and chaperones: PERK and heat shock protein 90. Finally, Morus alba extract exerts antihypertensive action in an experimental model of arterial hypertension.
CONCLUSION:
Through its action on eNOS signaling, Morus alba extract could act as a food supplement for the regulation of cardiovascular system, mainly in clinical conditions characterized by eNOS dysfunction, such as arterial hypertension.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016 May 28. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201600233. [Epub ahead of print] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

HPLC-based activity profiling--discovery of sanggenons as GABAA receptor modulators in the traditional Chinese drug Sang bai pi (Morus alba root bark)
Hyun Jung Kim 1, Igor Baburin, Janine Zaugg, Samad Nejad Ebrahimi, Steffen Hering, Matthias Hamburger
Abstract
EtOAc extracts from two batches of Morus alba root bark (Sang bai pi) potentiated γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-induced chloride influx in Xenopus oocytes, which transiently expressed GABA (A) receptors of the subunit composition α₁β₂γ(2S). With the aid of HPLC-based activity profiling of the extract from the first batch, activity was traced to a peak subsequently identified as sanggenon G (3). The second batch had a different phytochemical profile, and HPLC-based activity profiling led to the identification of sanggenon C (4) and a stereoisomer of sanggenon D (2) as positive GABA (A) receptor modulators. The structurally related compound kuwanon L (1) was inactive. The sanggenons represent a new scaffold of positive GABA (A) receptor modulators.
Planta Med 2012 Mar;78(5):440-7. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1298229. Epub 2012 Jan 31. PMID: 22294264 DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1298229 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov