Abstract
In recent years, more and more attention has been given to the naturally occurring alkaloids due to their unique bioactive properties. In particular, 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), an iminosugar derivative, has been attracting growing attention as anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and cardioprotective agent. This alkaloid is detected in various parts of the mulberry plant, such as leaves, latex, and root bark.
The predominant active substance in the mulberry leaf extract is 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), known for its role as a blood sugar level regulator. The present research aims at analyzing the impact of vegetation stages and mulberry variety on the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin in dried mulberry leaves. It has been concluded that the vegetation stage and variety have an effect on the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin in mulberry leaves, as the values of DNJ are the highest in the end of July and the lowest in the middle of June. The highest DNJ content is detected for the following varieties: Kokuso 21, Kinriu and Italian106; and the lowest content in Bulgarian 24 and Kokuso 27 varieties.
Keywords: mulberry leaves, DNJ, vegetation, variety