Characterization of Morus species in respect to micro, macro, and toxic elements

Abstract

This study examines the mineral composition of the extracts of the fruits, leaves and roots of white mulberry (Morus alba L.) and black mulberry (Morus nigra L.) grown in Serbia. All extract samples of white and black mulberry were analyzed for the content of micro (B, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Se, Sr, Zn), macro (Ca, Mg, Na), and toxic metals (Al, As, Cd, Hg, Pb) by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The study revealed that parts of the plant had statistically significant impact on the levels of the examined elements among the two Morus species. All extracts contained high amounts of Ca, Mg, Na, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. The studies showed that in the most of extracts dominant macro element was Mg (591- 1942 μg/g of dry extract), while dominant microelements were Zn, B, Cu in all extracts, except for the black mulberry leaves, whose extract was most abundant in Fe (143 μg/g of dry extract). The highest content of micro and macro elements was detected in the extract of black mulberry leaves. This work contributes to the knowledge of the nutritional properties of Morus species. The obtained results may be useful in the evaluation of new dietary and food products.