**4. Mulberry as a potential food resource**

Increasing consumer demand has been one of the driving forces in exploration of new natural food resources, keeping in mind that the food product must satisfy both basic dietary requirements and health benefits. In this respect it is evident that mulberry fruits are already famous throughout the world for their mouth-watering taste that makes it suitable to consume either in fresh or as an ingredient in value-added products and for culinary uses (**Table 1**). It is gradually becoming popular to the consumers not only because of their taste but also due to its high nutritional importance along with low calorie value. Opportunity of exploiting other parts of mulberry as processed food resource is also very high. This has led to increased demand of mulberry also in the food processing industries.

Mulberry fruits can be directly used for the preparation of jam and soft drinks [33]. Fresh fruits of mulberry are highly rated for human health because it contains vitamins, amino acids, and different minerals such as Zn, Ca, Mn, and Fe along with pectin and fibrin. Mulberry leaf is used for making tea, dhokla, pakoda and many other delicious different foodstuffs [34]. Mulberry is already a popular vegetable, along with the presence of high level of sugar makes mulberry an ideal resource for the food industry. It can be used for making breads, cakes, fruit drink pulp, fruit wine, fruit sauce, fruit powder and also chocolate. Fresh or dried or frozen forms of mulberry fruits can be utilized to produce different kinds of tonic, wine, syrups, amaretto. Mulberry seeds also can be used to produce oil. Unripe and immature mulberry fruits can be used for chutney preparation [35]. Famous Turkish food 'Kome'

*Mulberry as a Valuable Resource for Food and Pharmaceutical Industries: A Review DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104631*


#### **Table 1.**

*Uses of mulberry in preparation of food items, beverages and as preservative.*

and 'Pestil' is prepared by mixing walnut, honey and flour with mulberry [36, 37]. Mulberry juice kept under a cold storage at a particular temperature for six months to one year has proven effective for healthy skin and in prevention of throat infection [38]. Mulberry paste popularly known as 'sangshengao' used to make tea in China and it also found effective in improving liver and kidney function, vision and hearing. Use of dehydrated mulberry fruit as a sweetening agent in black tea is extremely popular among the Iranian people. In some specified regions of China young leaves of mulberry is in use as vegetables [2]. Mulberry fruit powder can be consumed as an anti-aging substance as it protects the cell from the aging effect. It also stabilizes cholesterol level and increases the carbohydrate absorption capacity of the human digestive system. Over-ripened mulberry fruits are used to produced Mulberry wine, this also known as a 'lady's drink' in Europe. Anthocyanin obtained from of *M. rubra* used for yogurt coloration having no difference with strawberry brand yogurt [28]. *M. alba* extract can be used to produce pastry along with Buckwheat flour, buckwheat hulls, chokeberry and inulin [25]. Shelf life of minced meat can be increased with the help of methanolic extraction of mulberry plant [27]. *M. alba* fruits can also be used to prepare spiced squash and appetizers [24].
