Research progress of role of berberine in Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Berberine (BBR) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from coptis chinensis. Berberine has several pharmacological activities, including disease-resistant microorganisms, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, heart protection, hypoglycemia, regulation of lipid metabolism and immunomodulatory properties. However, BBR's effects on neurodegenerative diseases remained relatively unexplored until its ability to stunt AD progression was characterized. Substantial studies suggest that berberine may be beneficial to AD by limiting the pathogenesis of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. The studies in recent years have also found that berberine can additionally treat AD by affecting neurotransmitter, anti-oxidative stress, metabolism and other multi-target pathways. This article discusses the treatment pathway of berberine on AD, and summarizes the inhibition mechanism of berberine on AD. Key words: Berberine; Alzheimer disease; Amyloid; Tau protein; Chemical compositions (TCD); Review