Unveiling the Phytopharmacological Potential of Morus alba: Bioactive Constituents, Therapeutic Potential, and Future Prospects.

Morus alba L., a member of the Moraceae family, is widely recognised for its medicinal and nutritional importance. Various extracts from Traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Korean medicine systems are widely used, including tree leaves, fruits, root bark, and branches. This review critically summarises the pharmacological potential, phytochemical profile, and emerging therapeutic applications of Morus alba L. based on available preclinical and analytical studies. These activities are attributed to diverse bioactive constituents, including stilbenes, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Besides, the plant is important in sericulture and offers possible health advantages as a health supplement, herbal tea, jams, oils, and functional foods. This review compiles and evaluates extraction and analytical techniques used for the identification and characterisation of bioactive compounds from Morus alba. These include HPLC, GC-MS, NMR, ethanol-based extraction, hot water extraction, and advanced proteomic and metabolomic approaches. Chemometric tools, along with HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-ESI-MSn, are widely used for quality assessment and chemical standardisation. Recent studies in emerging areas such as molecular docking, ligand fishing, and nanoparticle-based systems further highlight its potential in drug discovery and delivery. Morus alba-mediated nanoparticles have also demonstrated antimicrobial, antioxidant, and drug delivery potential. This review highlights current evidence, identifies research gaps, and provides future directions for the development of Morus alba-based therapeutic and functional applications.