Therapeutic Potential of Fruit Mulberry: a Systematic Review of Pharmacological Activities and Mechanistic Insights

The fruits of mulberry (Morus alba, Morus nigra, and Morus rubra) are historically known to contain high levels of bioactive phytochemicals, including anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and polysaccharides, and were traditionally used in various traditional medicines. Modern scientific research has given an ever-attentive focus on their future roles in prophylaxis and the treatment of metabolic, inflammatory as well as chronic non-communicable diseases. The current systematic review provides a critical summary of the available evidence on the pharmacological activity of mulberry fruits and the molecular processes that determine their therapeutic potential. The Scopus database was searched systematically using PRISMA 2020 requirements, which is why the studies conducted between 2015 and 2025 were considered. In vitro, in vivo and human studies that tested mulberry fruit extracts, isolated molecules and derived preparations were included. Qualitative aggregation of data was conducted, focusing on phytochemical composition, biological activities, and mechanistic pathways, with a bibliometric analysis using Biblioshiny to outline research trends and conceptual frameworks. Forty-six studies were found to meet the requirements of inclusion. The findings have shown that the fruits of the mulberry have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, by regulating the expression of important signalling pathways, including Nrf2-ARE, NF-κB, MAPK, and AMPK. It is these molecular activities that support their antidiabetic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and anticancer activities, including glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, endothelial activity, mitochondrial maintenance and apoptotic pathways. Bibliometric analysis showed that there was a slow but steady rise in the number of publications, with the principal contribution made by Asian nations and a gradual interdisciplinary incorporation of pharmacology, food science, and biochemistry. Although there is strong evidence in preclinical research, clinical translation is limited by inconsistencies in extraction procedures, phytochemical standardisation, bioavailability, as well as scarcity of large-scale human trials. Further studies must focus on the creation of standardised prescriptions, sophisticated delivery models, and well-crafted clinical trials using multi-omics. In general, the mulberry fruit turns out to be an excellent multifocal functional food and nutraceutical candidate, which has a significant healing potential.