The efficacy and action points of Morus alba

Morus alba bark, the name of a Chinese herbal medicine. It is the root bark of the mulberry plant of the Moraceae family. Spread across all provinces of China. It has the effects of clearing the lungs and relieving asthma, promoting dampness and reducing swelling. It is common in cases of cough and wheezing due to lung heat, water retention in the lungs, bloating and shortness of breath, edema, athlete's foot, and difficulty urinating. Store in a dry container, tightly closed, in a cool and dry place.

1. The role and efficacy of mulberry bark

Mulberry bark tastes sweet and spicy, and has a cold nature that can penetrate into the heart and lung meridian. Clearing the lungs and relieving asthma, as well as promoting dampness and reducing swelling are the main functions of this Chinese herbal medicine. It has obvious therapeutic effects on human cough, wheezing, and urinary difficulties. In addition, when people have edema of the body and upper abdominal distension and pain, they can also take mulberry bark for treatment, and the therapeutic effect is very significant.

2. Efficacy and function of mulberry bark:

1. Blood pressure lowering effect

Administration of 5-6 mg/kg of the alcohol extract of Morus alba bark into the duodenum of anesthetized rabbits and dogs can significantly and permanently lower the blood pressure of the animals. When taken orally at a dose of 20 g/kg, it can also produce a significant hypotensive effect in experimental renal hypertensive animals.

Disconnecting the sympathetic nerves on both sides or disconnecting the spinal nerves at the 5th to 6th cervical vertebrae will not change its blood pressure lowering effect. When 1g (raw drug)/kg of mulberry bark extract is injected subcutaneously into rabbits with medical ether, boiled water or warm ethanol, the blood pressure can be lowered by 2 to 3.3 kPa.

A substance [melting point (dissolution) is 144℃] was extracted from the bark of mulberry. When 10mg/kg was injected intravenously into rabbits, the blood pressure dropped significantly immediately. The effect still existed after disconnecting the cervical sympathetic nerves or cervical vertebrae. Therefore, it is inferred that the extract may contain acetylcholine-like substances. The extract of Morus alba bark can inhibit paraffin-sectioned frog hearts and stimulate isolated rabbit intestines, while its effect of reducing blood pressure can be resisted by atropine.

It is reminded that this type of blood-lowering depression may be caused by the inhibition of vascular motor centers, and lowering blood pressure seems to increase renal blood volume at the same time. Sanggenone isolated from mulberry bark can significantly lower blood pressure when injected intravenously into rabbits. Cyclomulin and mulberry furan C also have antihypertensive effects.

2. Good for urination

2g/kg of mulberry bark decoction, taken orally to rabbits, or 300-500mg/kg of mulberry bark water extract and n-butanol extract, taken orally or injected into the abdomen to rats, both have obvious urinary effects. The amount of fluoride (Na, K) excreted in urine and urine within 6 hours is significantly increased. This product has a significant diuretic effect.

3. Calming and analgesic effects

Intravenous injection of extracts of mulberry bark in fat-soluble solvents such as petroleum ether, medical ether, and butyl acetate into mice can reduce the spontaneous activity of mice and have an anticonvulsant effect. Injecting 50 mg/kg or more of mulberry bark water or n-butanol extract into the abdomen of mice can reduce the spontaneous activity of the animals, reduce tactile and sensory nerve responses, dilate the pupils, and slightly inhibit the occurrence of electric shock in mice.

4. Anti-infection effect

Oral administration or injection of the water extract of mulberry bark to rats has an inhibitory effect on the swelling of the feet caused by carrageenan and glucan.

5. Antibacterial effect

The decoction of mulberry bark has a very strong inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus; it also has a slight inhibitory effect on Salmonella typhi and Shigella flexneri. Morinda furan A has extremely strong antibacterial specificity against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus paradoxica. Cyclosporine also has antifungal effects.

6. Inhibit platelet aggregation

Morus alba bark often contains acidic substances, which can affect the cyclooxygenase in platelets, thereby inhibiting the production of TBX2 or the conversion of 12-HETE, thereby affecting platelet aggregation by changing the metabolism of arachidonic acid.

7. Blood sugar lowering effect

Moranoline (deoxyimidoyl erythrin) and Moran A, a hypoglycemic substance, were isolated and confirmed from the mulberry bark. Through experiments, it has been confirmed that Moran A has a dose-dependent hypoglycemic effect on alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice (blood sugar level 250~450mg/dL).

8. Other effects

In vitro tests on the extract of mulberry bark showed an inhibition rate of about 70% on the human cervical cancer JTC-26 strain, and it has the effect of inducing interferon. Mulberry bark can stimulate the uterus of rabbits and slightly promote the secretion of the rabbit pituitary gland.

It can also inhibit phosphodiesterase. It has a cathartic effect. The water extract of mulberry bark has a mild antitussive effect on guinea pigs, and the n-butanol extract also has an antitussive effect and a certain cooling effect. The antipyretic and brain-clearing syrup with mulberry bark as the main ingredient also has good antipyretic, cough and phlegm-resolving effects.