Evaluating the effects of biodynamic preparations on the quality of white mulberry

Researchers at Aleksandras Stulginskis University and the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences evaluated the influence of biodynamic (BD) preparations 500 and 501 on the quality of Morus alba (white mulberry) leaves. Their results were published in the journal Biological Agriculture & Horticulture.

• BD preparations are soil activators or compost packed in cow horns.
• BD 500 is made of cow manure while 501 is made from finely ground quartz crystal rock.
• In 2015 and 2016, the researchers collected leaves from two mulberry cultivars, namely, Plodovaja 3 and Turchanka, and used them for their experiment.
• They used UPLC to measure the amounts of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and chlorogenic acid present in the leaves.
• The researchers reported that the total concentrations of phenolic compounds (TPCC) and flavonoids (TFC) ranged from 4483 to 5005 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent (ChAE)/100 g dry matter (DM) and 2944 to 3292 mg ChAE/100 g DM, respectively.
• The leaves of Turchanka contained the highest TPCC and TFC.
• The major flavonoids present in the mulberry leaves were:
  • Quercetin-acetylhexoside
  • Isoquercitrin
  • Rutin
  • Kaempferol-acetylhexoside
  • Astragalin
• Apart from isoquercitrin and astragalin, flavonoid concentrations varied between the two cultivars.
• BD preparations influenced the TPCCs of the two cultivars differently.
• In Turchanka leaves, BD preparation 500 significantly increased both TPCC and TFC by 3.62 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively.
• In Plodovaja 3 leaves, BD preparation 501 significantly reduced TPCC, TFC and chlorogenic acid concentration.
• In contrast, the combination of 500 and 501 significantly increased the concentrations of quercetin-acetylhexoside and kaempferol-acetylhexoside in the leaves of both cultivars.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that BD preparations can increase the amount of phenolic compounds in mulberry leaves, particularly of the Turchanka cultivar.

Journal Reference:

Jariene E, Levickiene D, Danilcenko H, Vaitkeviciene N, Kulaitiene J, Jakstas V, Ivanauskas L, Gajewski M. EFFECTS OF BIODYNAMIC PREPARATIONS ON CONCENTRATION OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS IN THE LEAVES OF TWO WHITE MULBERRY CULTIVARS. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture. 16 October 2018;35(2):132–142. DOI: 10.1080/01448765.2018.1535329