Determination of 1-Deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ) in Leaves of Italian or Italy-Adapted Cultivars of Mulberry (Morus sp.pl.) by HPLC-MS

Recently, 1-DNJ has been widely studied by scientists for its capacity to inhibit α-glucosidase and reduce postprandial blood glucose and fat accumulation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first analytical determination of 1-DNJ in Morus sp.pl. leaves carried out on Italian crops, and it could be used as a reference to assess the quality of the plant material in comparison to Far Eastern Asia cultivations. The effects of two thermal treatments were compared to test the incidence of the drying process on the 1-DNJ extractability. In addition, two harvesting seasons in the same year (2017) and two subsequent harvesting years (2017–2018) were considered. The amount of 1-DNJ herein found was comparable to that reported in the scientific literature for Asian cultivations. The increase in 1-DNJ along the summer and the higher level of this compound in the apical leaves also complies with previous findings. However, a strong implication for the climatic conditions in the different years and a significant interaction between climate and genotypes suggest exploring very carefully the agronomic practices and selecting cultivars according to different environmental conditions with a view to standardize the 1-DNJ amount in leaves.