Editing Morus (plant) (section)

=== Pigment ===
Mulberry fruit color derives from [[anthocyanin]]s, which have unknown effects in humans.<ref name="efsa2010">{{Cite journal|publisher=European Food Safety Authority |title=Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to various food(s)/food constituent(s) and protection of cells from premature aging, antioxidant activity, antioxidant content and antioxidant properties, and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage |id=Pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/20061 |journal=EFSA Journal |author=((EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies)) |volume=8 |issue=2 |page=1489 |doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1752 |doi-access=free}} [https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1752 Direct link]</ref> Anthocyanins are responsible for the attractive colors of fresh plant foods, including orange, red, purple, black, and blue.<ref name=efsa2010/> These colors are water-soluble and easily extractable, yielding natural [[food colorant]]s.{{r|cabi}} Due to a growing demand for natural food colorants, they have numerous applications in the food industry.{{r|duke|efsa2010}}

A cheap and industrially feasible method has been developed to extract anthocyanins from mulberry fruit that could be used as a fabric dye or food colorant of high [[color value]].<ref name=cabi/> Scientists found that, of 31 Chinese mulberry cultivars tested, the total anthocyanin yield varied from 148 to 2725&nbsp;mg/L of fruit juice.<ref name="liu">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Liu X, Xiao G, Chen W, Xu Y, Wu J |year=2004 |title=Quantification and purification of mulberry anthocyanins with macroporous resins |journal=Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology |volume=2004 |issue=5 |pages=326–331 |doi=10.1155/S1110724304403052 |pmc=1082888 |pmid=15577197 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Sugars, acids, and vitamins of the fruit remained intact in the residual juice after removal of the anthocyanins, indicating that the juice may be used for other food products.<ref name=liu/><ref name="cabi">{{Cite web |date=20 November 2019 |title=''Morus nigra'' (black mulberry) |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/34830 |access-date=8 March 2020 |publisher=CABI}}</ref>

Mulberry [[germplasm]] resources may be used for:{{r|duke|cabi}}<ref name="usda">{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=''Morus alba'' L. |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=24607 |access-date=8 March 2020 |publisher=US Department of Agriculture, National Plant Germplasm System}}</ref>
* exploration and collection of fruit yielding mulberry species
* their characterization, cataloging, and evaluation for anthocyanin content by using traditional, as well as modern, means and [[biotechnology]] tools
* developing an information system about these cultivars and varieties
* training and global coordination of genetic stocks
* evolving suitable breeding strategies to improve the anthocyanin content in potential breeds by collaboration with various research stations in the field of sericulture, plant genetics, and breeding, biotechnology and [[pharmacology]]