Species of the Berberis Genus Found in the Western Himalayas

Abstract

In the past few years, the concern to develop organic food and medicines has drawn attention to focus more on the synthesis of herbal drugs. The Himalayas are the major source of plant species with medicinal and pharmacological potential. Berberis is such genus that has been a part of the traditional medicine system and comprises more than 600 plant species. Several species under this genus are known for their potential to treat metabolic and dermatological problems. Two species Berberis aristata and Berberis lycium have been very well documented for their several biological properties like antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, etc. The roots of plants belonging to Berberis genus are also the major source of one marvelous molecule “Berberine” which has already been a part of several herbal formulations marketed for the treatment of several diseases. These plants are also a rich source of nutrition and can be incorporated in diet, but toxicity studies are still required to verify the same. Many more plant species of this genus are still unexplored for their medicinal potential via in vitro and in vivo studies and very few species have been studied under laboratory conditions to test their medicinal properties and clinical trials are still pending. In this chapter, we have discussed the botanical description, distribution, phytochemistry, and pharmacological potential of berberis species found in Western Himalayas with special focus on the two most important species—B. aristata and B. lycium.