Structure-function relationship and biological activity of polysaccharides from mulberry leaves: A review

Mulberry (Latin name “Morus alba L.”) is a perennial deciduous tree in the family of Moraceae, widely distributed around the world. In China, mulberry is mainly distributed in the south and the Yangtze River basin. Its leaves can be harvested 3–6 times a year, which has a great resource advantage. Mulberry leaves are regarded as the homology of medicine and food traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Polysaccharides, as its main active ingredients, have various effects, such as antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory. This review summarizes the research progress in the extraction, purification, structural characterization, and structure-function relationship of polysaccharides from mulberry leaves in the last decade, hoping to provide a reference for the subsequent development and market application of polysaccharides from mulberry leaves.