DNJ (1-Deoxynojirimycin)

Chemical Class	Polyhydroxylated piperidine alkaloid (iminosugar)
Molecular Formula / CAS	C₆H₁₃NO₄ · CAS 19130-96-2
Primary Botanical Source(s)	Mulberry leaf (Morus alba and related Morus species)
Plant Part	Leaf
Typical Content	Roughly 0.04–0.06% of leaf dry weight in most cultivars, varying substantially by harvest season, leaf age and cultivar
Solubility / Format	Water-soluble alkaloid; available as standardised extract powders at multiple potency grades
Sourcing Status	Product-live — genuine match via Herbuno’s mulberry leaf extract line
Buy from Herbuno	DNJ 5% Powder (Mulberry Leaf Extract) · DNJ 1% Powder

Name origin: 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) is named as the deoxygenated (1-deoxy) derivative of nojirimycin, itself named for the Japanese location Nojiri, where the parent compound was first isolated from Streptomyces bacteria; DNJ is also known by the synonym moranoline, from Morus, the mulberry genus. Traditional use: Mulberry leaf has an extensive traditional-medicine history in East Asian herbal systems, used as a tea for fever, cough and, notably, for conditions resembling elevated blood sugar, well before DNJ was identified as the specific compound responsible for this glucose-lowering reputation. Research trajectory: DNJ was first identified in mulberry in the 1970s as a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, and research since has systematically screened mulberry cultivars, leaf ages and harvest seasons to identify DNJ-rich source material, alongside a growing body of human clinical trials testing DNJ-enriched extract directly against postprandial blood glucose. Commercial source: Mulberry leaf is the standard commercial source of DNJ, and Herbuno’s standardised extracts reflect this well-established, genuine botanical match.

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Evidence for DNJ (1-Deoxynojirimycin) Applications

DNJ is a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor: its piperidine ring structure closely mimics glucose, allowing it to competitively bind the alpha-glucosidase enzymes in the small intestine that break down complex carbohydrates into absorbable simple sugars, thereby slowing carbohydrate digestion and blunting the resulting rise in blood glucose after a meal. A cultivar-screening study across 276 mulberry varieties found a strong correlation (r = 0.90) between leaf DNJ content and measured alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity, confirming DNJ as the principal active constituent behind this effect (et al. 2008). Claim strength: Moderate.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in subjects with impaired glucose metabolism tested single doses of DNJ-enriched mulberry leaf extract (3, 6 or 9 mg DNJ) against a carbohydrate challenge, followed by a 12-week, 76-subject trial testing sustained supplementation (6 mg DNJ three times daily); the longer trial found that sustained DNJ-enriched extract intake improved long-term postprandial glycaemic control in this at-risk population (Kojima et al. 2011). This is one of the more substantial human RCTs specific to DNJ in the mulberry literature. Claim strength: Moderate.

A separate dose-finding human study using purpose-developed, high-DNJ-content mulberry powder found that single oral doses of 0.8 and 1.2 g of the enriched powder (delivering 12 and 18 mg DNJ respectively) significantly suppressed the postprandial rise in blood glucose and insulin secretion following a 50 g sucrose challenge, while noting that standard commercial mulberry products historically carried DNJ concentrations too low (around 0.1%) to reliably deliver these tested doses at typical serving sizes (Kimura et al. 2007). Claim strength: Moderate.

DNJ content in mulberry leaf varies substantially by cultivar, leaf age, harvest season and leaf position on the branch, with young leaves harvested in summer from the upper branches consistently showing the highest concentrations across the screening studies. This variability is a genuine sourcing consideration: a generic, non-standardised mulberry leaf material cannot be assumed to deliver a research-relevant DNJ dose without specific analytical verification and, ideally, cultivation and harvest-timing control. Claim strength: Moderate.

Beyond glucose metabolism, DNJ has also been investigated in animal models for lipid-lowering, gut-microbiota-modulating and skeletal-muscle insulin-sensitising effects via IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway activation, extending its research interest beyond the acute postprandial glucose effect that remains its most human-clinical-trial-supported application. Claim strength: Emerging.

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Dosage & Formulator Specification

Human clinical research has tested DNJ doses in the range of 6–18 mg per serving, taken with or shortly before a carbohydrate-containing meal, with the sustained 12-week trial using 6 mg three times daily; a generic, unstandardised mulberry leaf product would need substantially large serving sizes to reach these tested doses given DNJ’s typically low natural concentration.

Analytical quantification of DNJ is performed by HPLC with evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD) or by LC-MS/MS methods, since DNJ lacks a strong UV chromophore that would allow standard UV-based HPLC detection; formulators should confirm which analytical method a supplier uses, since ELSD- and MS-based methods are considered more reliable for this specific compound.

Because DNJ works by inhibiting carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in the intestine, its effect is most relevant when taken close to meal times rather than as a standalone, time-independent supplement; formulators should consider this meal-timing dependency in product positioning and use instructions.

Regulatory positioning for DNJ follows established mulberry leaf food and botanical-ingredient precedent in most markets, given mulberry leaf’s long traditional food and tea use history; no DNJ-specific regulatory limit exists. Formulators making postprandial glucose claims should ensure the finished product’s DNJ content is verified at levels comparable to those tested in the human clinical trials referenced above.

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Frequently Asked Questions — DNJ (1-Deoxynojirimycin)

Related compounds: 4-Hydroxyisoleucine, Corosolic Acid