Study of the Morphological Fruit Quality, Total Polyphenol Content, and Antioxidant Activity in Four Mulberry Species (Morus spp.) in Malatya-Türkiye

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
M. Ergun
H. Yoncacı
Z. Süslüoğlu
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bingöl University, Merkez/Bingöl, Türkiye.
Abstract
The present study evaluated the morphological and biochemical characteristics of fruits from four widely distributed mulberry species in Türkiye (Morus spp.: M. alba, M. nigra, M. rubra, and M. laevigata) in order to inform species selection and promote the utilisation of underexploited genotypes for food and nutraceutical applications. The fruits and juice were analysed for size, weight, juice yield, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, colour (CIELAB coordinates), total polyphenol content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH assay). Significant interspecific variation was observed for most traits. M. rubra and M. laevigata produced the largest and heaviest fruits, with M. rubra also presenting the highest juice yield (57.15%). Colour analysis separated pale-coloured M. alba from the anthocyanin-rich, dark-pigmented M. nigra and M. rubra. M. alba and M. nigra presented the highest levels of TSS at 19.93% and 19.64%, respectively. However, M. alba had the lowest levels of TA and TPC. In contrast, M. nigra had the highest TPC (1608.40 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹ fw). The antioxidant activity (DPPH) of the three dark-pigmented mulberries (M. nigra, M. rubra, and M. laevigata) was found to be similar to each other but higher than that of the pale-coloured M. alba. These findings highlight the potential of the dark-pigmented mulberry species as valuable sources of bioactive compounds for the development of functional foods.

 

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 October 2025