Anna Och, Karolina Orzechowska
Berberis thunbergii (Berberis thunbergii DC.) as a little-known representative of the genus Berberis L. in pharmacy – chemical composition, biological activity and perspectives of application
2024-01-23
Out of the approximately 580 shrub species in the genus Berberis L., only a small number have had their chemical composition and biological activity assessed. Little is known about the chemical makeup and biological activity of the species Berberis Thunberg, which is primarily recognized as a common garden plant and which contains alkaloid berberine, a compound currently under intensive research.
The goal of this study was to systematize up-to-date knowledge about the chemical composition as well as biological activity of Berberis Thunberg from the perspective of the herbal raw material as a source of berberine.
For this purpose, the authors reviewed the following scientific databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, PubChem, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.Gov using the following keywords “anticancer activity of Berberis Thunberg”, “biological activity of Berberis Thunbergii”, “Berberis in traditional medicine” and “berberine”.
The study included data that added to our current understanding of the species.
Berberis Thunbergii is a valuable source of berberine alkaloid, an important alkaloid that is attracting considerable interest and showing growing prospects in pharmacy. It is a compound that carries considerable hope for patients due to its antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-diarrheal, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, blood cholesterol-lowering, and blood pressure-lowering properties.
There is a great need for more research into the content of active compounds in extracts from various Barberry Thunberg’s parts and their pharmacological effects in many previously unexplored areas, as plant extracts are frequently characterized by a synergistic phenomenon, which in turn may be key to problems with berberine pharmacokinetics. Unfortunately, its application is limited due to its low bioavailability.
Because Berberis Thunberg is a valuable herbal raw material, as it contains berberine and other biologically active alkaloids, it should be further studied, particularly for its anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and chemopreventive properties.
Keywords: Berberis thunbergii, berberine, plant extract, chemopreventive, anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidants.
© Farm Pol, 2023, 79(10): 635–647
Berberis thunbergii (Berberis thunbergii DC.) as a little-known representative of the genus Berberis L. in pharmacy – chemical composition, biological activity and perspectives of application
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23 stycznia 2024