TITLE:
Chemical characterization and antioxidative properties of Polish variety of Morus alba L. leaf aqueous extracts from the laboratory and pilot-scale processes
AUTHORS:
Ewa Flaczyk, Joanna Kobus-Cisowska, Monica Przeor, Jozef Korczak, Marian Remiszewski, Eugeniusz Korbas, Maciej Buchowski
KEYWORDS:
Morus Alba Leaves; Pilot Plant Scale; Antioxidant Activity; Phenolic Acid; Flavonols; HPLC
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.4 No.5B,
July
16,
2013
ABSTRACT: White mulberry tree (Morus alba L) is cultivated throughout Asia and Europe, including Poland. The
leaves and root bark preparations from Morus
alba have been used in traditional phytomedicine. The objective of the
present study was to compare chemical composition and antioxidative activity
of aqueous extracts prepared from Polish variety of Morus alba leaves at the laboratory (L) and pilot plant scale (PP)
conditions. Proximate composition, phenolic acids profile (HPLC/MS), flavonol
glicosides (HPLC/ MS), polyphenols (Folin-Ciocalteu assay), and the antioxidant
activity (ABTS and DPPH assay) of the extracts were determined. The main phenolic
compounds were identified as gallic, protocatechuic, phydroxybenzoic, vanillic,
chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids. Chlorogenic acid was the main phenolic
constituent of both extracts. The flavonols fraction contained rutin,
quercetin 3-β-D-glucoside, and kaempferol 3-β-D- glucopyranoside. Total
concentration of phenolic compounds were 7.9 g and 14.4 g gallic acid
equivalent/100 g extract, and antioxidant activity was 137.1 and 214.1 μMol
Trolox equivalent/g dry weight for the PP and L extracts, respectively. We concluded that current pilot plant
process is less efficient than laboratory process at the aqueous extraction of
bioactive components from Morus alba dried leaves. Potential improvements may include increasing efficacy of the
extraction, decreasing losses of bioactive components during the process, or
both.