Mulberrofuran C, a benzofuran present in Morus alba, has inhibitory effects on Aβ₁₋₄₂ auto-aggregation, tau protein aggregation, AChE, antioxidant activity and neuroprotective effects, and has anti-Alzheimer's disease potential.

AChE:4.2 μM, NO production (LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells):21.8 μM, HSV1 (standard strain, Vero cells):5.0 μg/mL, HSV2 (Vero cells):3.2 μg/mL, HSV1 (clinical strain, Vero cells):3.1 μg/mL

Mulberrofuran C (Compound 2) exhibited multi-target in vitro activities relevant to Alzheimer’s disease. At 20 μM, Mulberrofuran C inhibited Aβ₁₋₄₂ self-aggregation by 70.7%, comparable to resveratrol (72.8%) and stronger than methylene blue (33.5%). Mulberrofuran C also suppressed tau protein aggregation (49.1% inhibition) and demonstrated strong antioxidant activity (ORAC value: 2.9, higher than Trolox). In cholinesterase inhibition assays, Mulberrofuran C showed moderate AChE inhibition (IC₅₀ = 4.2 μM), and in LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells, Mulberrofuran C suppressed NO production with an IC₅₀ of 21.8 μM [1]. Mulberrofuran C (Compound 2) exhibited in vitro antiviral activity against herpes simplex viruses HSV-1 and HSV-2 in Vero cells. In plaque reduction assays, Mulberrofuran C showed IC₅₀ values of 5.0, 3.1, and 3.2 μg/mL against HSV-1 (standard strain), HSV-1 (clinical strain), and HSV-2, respectively. The cytotoxic concentration (CC₅₀) of Mulberrofuran C was 28.0 μg/mL, yielding selectivity indices between 5.6 and 8.9, indicating moderate antiviral efficacy with acceptable cytotoxicity[2].