Mulbalance Mulberry Leaf Extract
Mulbalance mulberry leaf extract is a proprietary designation for a standardised extract of the leaf of Morus alba L., the white mulberry, specified on its content of 1-deoxynojirimycin. Named extract lines of this kind are sold to a fixed manufacturing specification rather than as a generic commodity, so the assay, the extraction route and the particle characteristics stay constant from lot to lot, which is the practical reason a formulator pays a premium over an unnamed mulberry leaf extract.
1-Deoxynojirimycin, generally abbreviated DNJ, is an iminosugar: a monosaccharide analogue in which the ring oxygen has been replaced by nitrogen. That substitution makes it a structural mimic of glucose that binds to intestinal alpha-glucosidase, and it is the compound the whole category is built on. Mulberry leaf is its main plant source, though it occurs at only about a tenth of a percent of the dry leaf, which is why concentration to a defined level requires purification rather than simple extraction.
Alongside DNJ the leaf contributes flavonoid glycosides based on quercetin and kaempferol, chlorogenic acid, polysaccharides and the alkaloids fagomine and nojirimycin. The extract is a light yellowish brown to brown fine powder with a faint grassy odour and a slightly bitter taste. DNJ is a small, highly polar molecule that dissolves readily in water and is stable to normal food processing and to the mildly acidic conditions of most beverages, which makes this a comparatively easy botanical active to formulate.
We source bulk Mulbalance Mulberry Leaf Extract from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Hunan. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Plant extract
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Morus alba L., dried leaf |
| Appearance | Light yellowish brown to brown fine powder |
| 1-Deoxynojirimycin by HPLC | ≥ 1.0% |
| Total Flavonoids | ≥ 5.0% |
| Identification | Conforms by HPLC to DNJ reference standard |
| Loss on Drying | ≤ 5.0% |
| Ash | ≤ 6.0% |
| Residual Solvent (Ethanol) | ≤ 5,000 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 2.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1.0 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 10,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤ 100 cfu/g |
| E. coli | Negative in 1 g |
| Salmonella | Negative in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
Extracts in this class are quoted on DNJ content by HPLC, commonly at 1, 2 or 5 percent, with 1 percent being the most widely traded level and 5 percent the concentrated grade used where dose per capsule is the constraint. The analytical method has to be stated: DNJ has no useful ultraviolet chromophore, so it is measured by HPLC after derivatisation or by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, and a figure quoted without the method behind it should be treated with caution.
Ratio extracts at 10:1 or 20:1 without a DNJ claim are traded as a cheaper alternative and carry only whatever DNJ the leaf happened to contain. Extracts standardised on total flavonoids rather than on DNJ are a separate line aimed at antioxidant positioning. Physical grades run from spray dried powder to granulated material for sachet and tablet work, and maltodextrin-carried grades are offered where the pure extract flows poorly. Leaf harvest timing is a genuine specification point, since DNJ content in the leaf falls as the season progresses, and organic certified material is widely available in this category.
Applications
- Blood sugar management supplements taken with meals, the principal application for the DNJ-standardised grade
- Weight management and carbohydrate blocker formulas, often combined with chromium and white kidney bean extract
- Functional beverages and shots dosed before or with a carbohydrate meal
- Low glycaemic bakery, confectionery and cereal products
- Sports nutrition products aimed at nutrient partitioning
- Capsule and tablet supplements, using the granulated grade for compression
- Instant tea and sachet powders reconstituted in hot water
- Metabolic health formulas for older consumers
- Companion animal supplements aimed at weight and metabolic control
China Manufacturers of Mulbalance Mulberry Leaf Extract
Top Mulbalance Mulberry Leaf Extract manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States mulberry leaf is marketed as a dietary ingredient under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, with manufacture under the good manufacturing practice rules in 21 CFR Part 111. Mulberry leaf tea has a history of consumption, and the Food and Drug Administration has not issued a food additive regulation or a generally recognised as safe affirmation specific to mulberry leaf extract, so a concentrated DNJ preparation without an established marketing history would be assessed as a new dietary ingredient. Permitted labelling is limited to structure and function statements.
In the European Union mulberry leaf has been used as a herbal infusion, and the Commission novel food catalogue records the position for Morus alba leaf; concentrated extracts standardised on an iminosugar depart substantially from that traditional use and fall to be assessed under the novel food Regulation on their own specification rather than inheriting the status of the leaf. No health claim for mulberry leaf or for 1-deoxynojirimycin appears on the EU register of authorised claims, so blood sugar claims cannot be made on an EU food label. Dried leaf is subject to pesticide maximum residue levels applied with a drying factor and to the contaminant limits of the contaminants Regulation. Neither Codex nor JECFA has published a specification for the material.
Manufacturing Process
Manufacture starts with mulberry leaf harvested at a defined stage, since DNJ content is highest in young leaf and declines through the season. The leaf is washed, blanched or steamed briefly to inactivate the oxidase enzymes that would otherwise brown the material, then dried in hot air at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius and milled to a coarse powder. Some producers work from fresh leaf directly, which avoids the drying step but ties production to the harvest.
Extraction is with water or dilute aqueous ethanol at moderate temperature, since DNJ is highly water soluble and needs no organic solvent to recover. The liquor is filtered to remove leaf fibre and chlorophyll-bearing solids, then concentrated under vacuum. Enrichment is the step that distinguishes a standardised grade from a ratio extract, and it is done by ion exchange: DNJ is a basic nitrogen-containing compound, so the liquor is passed over a cation exchange resin that binds it while sugars, organic acids, flavonoids and chlorophyll pass through, and it is then displaced with dilute ammonia or a buffered salt solution. The eluate is desalted, decolourised over activated carbon where necessary, concentrated under vacuum at low temperature, standardised to the declared DNJ level by blending or with a maltodextrin carrier, then spray dried, sieved and packed with a moisture barrier.
