Mulberry leaf polysaccharides suppress renal fibrosis.

A mulberry leaf polysaccharide (MLP-1) was prepared and partially characterised, and its anti-renal-fibrosis effects were investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy (DN) rats. MLP-1, with a molecular weight of 2,792,624 Da, consisted of arabinose, glucose, xylose, rhamnose, and mannose in a molar ratio of 1:1.13:2.35:6.74:8.85. Intraperitoneal injection of MLP-1 (2 mL; 0.2-0.4 g/mL) daily for 8 weeks significantly decreased serum insulin, fasting blood glucose, and 24 h urinary albumin, as well as urine protein and connective tissue growth factors, of STZ-induced DN rats. All these results indicated that MLP-1 can effectively inhibit renal fibrosis and potentially treat DN.