Antimutagenicity and Anti-HSV-2 Activity of Mulberry Tea (Morus rotunbiloba Koidz)

ABSTRACT Hot water extract from mulberry leaves, Morus rotunbiloba Koidz was extracted with diethyl ether, and its components were analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Polyphenolic compounds constituted the major component (79.8%), consisting of mainly tannic acid (37.9%), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (21.1%) and caffeic acid (11.2%). The genotoxicity of the extract was evaluated by the Ames mutagenicity test, using Salmonella typhimurium strain TA 98 induced by a mutagen Trp-P-1. It was found that the number of revertant colonies was significantly decreased with an IC 50 value of 4.5 mg/mL. The extract of Morus rotunbiloba Koidz also exhibited marked antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) with an IC 50 of 0.52 µg/mL. The results suggested the benefit of consumption of mulberry tea for prevention of cancer and HSV-2 infection