The meaning of the symbols of morus, macroura seen in a dream.

Linn.

Family: Moraceae.

Habitat: Native to China; cultivated in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Kashmir and North-Western Himalayas. English: Chinese White-Mulberry. Unani: Shahtuut, Tuut.

Action: Fruit—cooling, mild laxative. Used for sore throat, dyspepsia and melancholia. Leaves and root bark—expectorant, diuretic, hypotensive. Bark extract—hypoglycaemic. Leaf— anti-inflammatory, emollient, diaphoretic. Used as a gargle in inflammations of the throat.

The plant is rich in phenolics. The leaves gave flavonoids (including rutin, moracetin); anthocyanins (cyanidin and delphinidin glucosides); artocarpin, cycloartocarpin and analogues. The root bark contained fla- vonoids including the kuwanons, san- gennons, mulberrosides and mulber- rofurans.

Hot water extract of the dried mulberry leaves fed to rabbits on 1% cholesterol diet exhibited significant hypolip- idaemic or hypocholesterolaemic effect. In addition, suppression of hepatic enlargement and fat deposition in the hepatic cells was also observed.

An aqueous methanol extract of the root bark significantly reduced plasma sugar levels in mice.

The extract also showed anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity in exudative, proliferative and chronic phases of inflammation.

Aqueous and alkali extracts of leaves and stems are active against GramPositive bacteria and yeast.... morus alba

Linn.

Family: Moraceae.

Habitat: Native to West Asia; cultivated in Kashmir, also grown in Darjeeling.

English: Black Mulberry.

Unani: Tuut Siyaah.

Action: Berries and root bark— mild laxative and used in the treatment of respiratory catarrh. Berries—refrigerant, given during convalescence.

The fruit contains invert sugar, pectin, fruit acids (including malic and citric acid), ascorbic acid, and fla- vonoids (including rutin). Leaves contain flavonoids, including rutin (26%). Root bark contains calcium malate; the bark of branches contains tannins, phlobaphenes, a sugar, a phy- tosterol, ceryl alcohol, fatty acids and phosphoric acid.

An infusion of leaves causes a drop in blood sugar, sometimes diuresis and a reduction in arterial pressure. It shows no effect on glucosuria.

Morus acidosa Griff., M. australis Poir and Morus indica L. have also been equated with Tuut Siyaah of Unani medicine.... morus nigra