简介：TherootbarkofMorusalbaL.orwhitemulberryiswidelyusedastraditionalmedicineinChina,JapanandKorea.Majorclassesandtypesofphenoliccompoundsisolatedfromtherootbarkareflavonoids(kuwanons,morusin,cyclomorusinandsanggenons),benzofurans(moracinsandmulberrofurans),andstilbenoids(mulberrosides).SomeoftheflavonoidsandbenzofuransareproductsofDiel-Aldertypeadducts.Otherclassesofcompoundsincludetriterpenes,phenolicacidsandcoumarins.Morusin,aprenylatedflavonoid,wasfirstisolatedfromtherootbarkofM.alba,andlaterfromtheleaf,stembarkandtwigoftheplant.Thepotentanti-cancerpropertiesofmorusinhaveattractedmuchattentionwithresearchon-goingandnewfindingsbeingpublished.Thecompoundinhibitsangiogenesis,tumourprogressionandtumourmigration,andtriggersapoptosis,cellcyclearrestandautophagyincolorectal,cervical,prostate,breast,hepatoma,pancreatic,glioblastoma,gastric,ovarianandlungcancercelllines.Theanti-canceractivitiesofmorusinareexecutedviavariousmoleculartargetsandsignallingpathways.Itisanticipatedthaton-goinginvitrostudieswillprogressgraduallytoinvivostudiesusinganimalmodelsbeforeeffortstowardsdrugdevelopmentcanbeinitiatedforclinicaltrials.