Berberidaceae Research Articles

Spectral studies and pharmacological relevance of berberine isolated from Berberis aristata roots

Berberis aristata DC., commonly known as Indian barberry or Daruharidra, belongs to the Berberidaceae family. The plant root is well-known Ayurvedic medicine for diabetes, eye problems, skin disorders, and urinary tract diseases. The plant contains a variety of alkaloids including berberine, oxyberberine, berbamine, aromoline, karachine, palmatine, oxycanthine and taxilamine. The plant is reported to have hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anticancer and antiplatelet activities in different experimental models. In the present study, berberine was isolated in the form of its chloride salt from the roots of B. aristata. The molecule was characterised by a detailed spectral analysis including two-dimensional NMR studies. The molecule was also reviewed for its pharmacological relevance together with the possible mode of action.

Variability of Indicators and Processes in a Long Structured Phylogenetical Branch of Angiosperms. Part 2. Berberidaceae and Ranunculaceae Chain Links

The evolutionary process proceeding in the genomes of Berberidaceae and Ranunculaceae, two families of dicotyledonous angiosperms, was analyzed. Regular variation of the basic chromosome numbers and GC content of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-site of rDNA, as well as the chromosome number in the Berberidaceae family (13 → 10 → 8 → 7 → 6), were observed. It is possible that x = 6 can change independently of x = 10 changes. In the Ranunculaceae family, the sequence was 13 → 10 → 9 → 7 → 8. The GC content in rDNA in both families decreased from 71–75 to 46–52% in spacers and from 56 to less than 53% in the sequences encoding 5.8S rRNA. In Ranunculaceae, there is a secondary increase in the GC content in rDNA, followed by a further decrease in this parameter.

Ethnobotanical uses of wild medicinal plants by the local community in the Asi Ganga Sub-basin, Western Himalaya

Himalayan region is rich in biological diversity and the communities residing in the region largely depend on it for food, healthcare and other livelihood practices. Use of various floral species in healthcare remedies play significant role on the life of the Himalayan peoples. The present interview based study was conducted in the Asi Ganga Sub-basin of Uttarakhand in the western Himalaya. A total of 60 respondents (31 males and 29 females) from the seven selected villages of the study area were involved in this study. We documented use of 76 wild medicinal plants in primary healthcare remedies by the local community. Maximum species (9 species) represented to the Rosaceae family followed by family Lamiaceae (4 species), Ranunculaceae (3), Berberidaceae (3), Pinaceae (3) and Ericaceae (3 species) respectively. The study observed that the traditional healthcare system was still prevalent among the people and mostly preferred before allopathic treatment. However, the knowledge on medicinal uses of plant species was restricted to elderly members of the community and the younger ones were unaware or knew very less about such practices. Transfer of traditional knowledge system (TKS) to the new generation was restricted to a very few individuals and seems to be declining, which could be a key reason behind limited knowledge on traditional practices among the younger members. Apart from the use in healthcare, many of these medicinal plants were important for livelihood of the community residing in the Asi Ganga Sub-basin, as it was contributing about 35-40 percent of average household income. However, the utilization pattern for economic benefit was perceived to be very critical for the sustainability of these valuable resources and associated traditional practices.

A New Disease of Epimedium Caused by Carnation Ringspot Virus

Epimediums (Epimedium grandiflorum) are popular perennial groundcovers and are known to produce a wide range of medicinal effects. Extracts have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Carnation ringspot virus (CRSV) has a wide host range. In 2018, symptoms were observed on epimedium in three different landscape settings across St. Paul, MN. Leaf symptoms consisted of conspicuous mottling, chlorotic ringspots, and distortion of leaf margins. CRSV was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The CRSV host range now includes epimedium, which is the first species of the Berberidaceae family shown to be susceptible to CRSV. The potential risk of infection in other ornamental plant species in the family should be evaluated.

Spasmolytic and Antimicrobial Activities of Crude Extract of Bongardia chrysogonum L. Tubers

Background and Objective: Although Bongardia chrysogonum L. (family Berberidaceae) has been used in many countries in traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal tract disorders, scientific evidence for this treatment is lacking. The present study was carried out to assess the antimicrobial activity and to evaluate the antispasmodic potential of B. chrysogonum tuber extract. Materials and Methods: Extracts were also evaluated for antimicrobial potential against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by using the micro dilution method. To evaluate the antispasmodic activity of B. chrysogonum extract on contractions induced by the spasmogens acetylcholine, BaCl2 and KCl, contractions of rat duodenum were recorded using an isolated tissue bath chamber with an isotonic transducer and oscillographic device. Results were compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett’s post test. Results: Preliminary phytochemical screening of the tuber extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins and carbohydrates, including monosaccharides. No antimicrobial activity was observed against gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria; however, ethanolic B. chrysogonum tuber extract attenuated the basal contractile activity of rat duodenum smooth muscle and decreased contractions induced by acetylcholine, KCl and BaCl2, suggesting an antimuscarinic effect and/or interference of calcium influx. Alkaloids and saponins present in the extract may account for this antispasmodic effect, suggesting multiple mechanisms that can be explored in future studies. Conclusion: Taken together, results demonstrate that B. chrysogonum tuber extract possesses antispasmodic activity but not antimicrobial activity and supports its traditional use to alleviate gastrointestinal spasms.

Chemical constituents from Epimedium koreanum Nakai and their chemotaxonomic significance

In this study, 21 compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Epimedium koreanum Nakai, including 6 phenols (1–5 and 10), 4 lignans (6–9) and 11 flavonoids (11–21). The chemical structures of those isolates were established after extensive one-and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy analyses. This is the first report of compounds 2, 3, 4 and 9 in E. koreanum and of compounds 5 and 7 in the family Berberidaceae. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds is discussed.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of the perennial herb Aconitum carmichaelii (Ranunculales: Ranunculaceae)

Aconitum carmichaelii: is a species of perennial herb with high medicinal and ornamental values, and needs urgent conservation. To facilitate its conservation genetics studies, its complete chloroplast genome was assembled from Illumina sequencing reads. The circular genome is 155,737 bp long, and comprises a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,193 bp each, separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 86,330 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,021 bp. It encodes 112 gene species (incl. 78 PCGs, 30 tRNAs & 4 rRNAs), with 18 of them being duplicated. Besides, 15 gene species possess a single intron, and another two gene species contain a couple of introns. The nucleotide composition is asymmetric with an overall A+T content of 61.9%. Phylogenetic analysis challenged the current taxonomy of the family Berberidaceae, and suggested A. carmichaelii as being closely related to the two congeners A. barbatum and A. chiisanense.

Berberis vulgaris: specifications and traditional uses.

The medicinal plants from genus Berberis are particularly important in traditional medicine and the food basket of Iranians. Given various plants from genus Berberis and their economic, nutritional, and medicinal status in Iran, this study seeks to investigate the findings of recent studies on the phytochemical characteristics, specifications, and uses of Berberis vulgaris. In this review article, 350 articles were initially retrieved from reliable scientific databases using relevant search terms. Then, 230 articles were selected and 120 were excluded after a primary analysis. Finally, 98 articles related to the subject under study were meticulously examined and the required data were extracted and classified according to the research purposes. The findings were divided into eight separate sections: Introducing Berberidaceae family, different species of Berberis, pharmaceutical organs, B. vulgaris nutrition facts and minerals, the antioxidants and alkaloids compounds in fruit and other organs, action mechanisms of preventing and treating diseases, traditional uses of B. vulgaris, and its properties reported by recent studies. The results briefly indicate that B. vulgaris contains a large number of phytochemical materials including ascorbic acid, vitamin K, several triterpenoids, more than 10 phenolic compounds and more than 30 alkaloids. Therefore B. vulgaris may have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, analgesic and anti-nociceptive and hepato-protective effects. Regarding the use of different organs of B. vulgaris in traditional medicine and their confirmed effects in the recent studies, it is possible to use different organs of B. vulgaris, especially fruit, to develop new drugs.

Plant Species Diversity in Abies pindrow (Royle) Spach. Forest in Garhwal Himalayas, India

Present study was conducted in Abies pindrow forests of Uttarakhand of Western Himalayas with the aim to analyse the diversity of plant species. The altitudinal range of the different sites varied between 2200-3300 m above mean sea level (msl). The analysis of species revealed that the generic spectrum belonged to 73 families, comprising of 204 genera with 315 species of trees, shrubs and herbs which highlights the rich species diversity of higher plants in the Abies pindrow forests of the Western Himalaya in India. Maximum number of species belonged to family Asteraceae (29 species), followed by Poaceae (23 species), Rosaceae (21 species), Lamiaceae (17 species), Orchidaceae (15 species), Ranunculaceae (13 species), Apiaceae (12 species), Caprifoliaceae (11 species) and Polygonaceae (10 species) whereas other families had less than 10 species. Most of the forests in the present study were pure Abies pindrow forests. Tree species primarily belonged to family Pinaceae, shrubs to Rosaceae, Berberidaceae and Caprifoliaceae whereas; herbaceous flora primarily belonged to Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Orchidaceae, Ranunculaceae, Polypodiaceae, Aspleniaceae, Poaceae and Cyperacae. A total of 198 species were present out of which 5 were trees, 50 shrubs and 143 were herbaceous species. The herbaceous species comprised of 103 herbs, 4 climbers, 21 ferns, 11 grasses and 4 sedges..

Analysis of isoquinoline alkaloids from Mahonia leschenaultia and Mahonia napaulensis roots using UHPLC-Orbitrap-MSn and UHPLC-QqQLIT-MS/MS

Mahonia leschenaultia (ML) and Mahonia napaulensis (MN) are less known and unexplored medicinal plants of the family Berberidaceae. They are used by the Todas of Nilgiris in their religious and medical practices but chemically less identified. Hence, we decided to do extensive phytochemical analysis to explore the potential of these plant extracts. An ultrahigh performance electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–ESI–MS/MS) method was successfully developed for qualitative analysis of the bioactive components in Mahonia species using Orbitrap Velos Pro mass spectrometer. Sixteen compounds were identified by comparison of their retention times and mass spectra (MS) with authentic standards and reported literature. Multi-stage mass spectra (MS2–8) for the identification of protoberberine and aporphine alkaloids showed the sequential expulsion of all the substituents attached with their basic skeleton followed by CO loss. Eight of the identified compounds (berberine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, magnoflorine, isocorydine, glaucine, tetrahydropalmatine and tetrahydroberberine) were simultaneously determined by another UHPLC–ESI–MS/MS method under the multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode quantitatively using triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. The analytical method was validated for 8 bioactive compounds with overall recovery in the range 98.5%–103.6% (RSD≤2.2%), precise (RSD≤2.07%) and linear (r≥0.9995) over the concentration range of 0.5–1000ng/mL and successfully applied in ML and MN roots, which suggests the suitability of the proposed approach for the routine analysis of Mahonia species and their quality control.

English

Podophyllum hexandrum Royle, a rhizomatous perennial herb from the Berberidaceae family, is a highly reputed medicinal plant known for its lignan, podophyllotoxin. Podophyllotoxin and its semisynthetic derivativatives are potent anticancer agents. The semisynthetic analogues of podophyllotoxin are also used in the treatment of lung cancer, testicular cancer, neuroblastoma, hepatoma and other tumor diseases. While Podophyllotoxin acts as an inhibitor of the microtubule assembly, the cytotoxic action of its derevatives is based on the inhibition of topoisomerase. Owing to the ever-increasing demand of Podophyllum hexandrum for podophyllotoxin, it has been subjected to heavy collection from the wild. The anti-cancer lignan derivative podophyllotoxin is biosynthesized at very low quantities in intact Podophyllum hexandrum plant and the whole plant is harvested to isolate the bioactive lignan adding to the threats that the plant is currently facing. Therefore, biotechnological production of podophyllotoxin has been considered essential. The present review gives a brief introduction about the phytochemistry, pharmacology and biosynthesis of podophyllotoxin and also discusses the potential of biotechnology for production of podophyllotoxin to meet the increasing demand of this highly valued plant metabolite.

Morphological Variability of Berberis integerrima from Iran

Barberry is a valuable medicinal plant that belongs to family Berberidaceae. In the current research, phenotypic variations of 34 individuals of wild barberry (Berberis integerrima) were evaluated. Significant phenotypic diversity was detected between the studied accessions based on morphological traits. Significant correlations were found for variables related to seed and berry, so that seed quantity, seed width, seed weight and seed length were positively correlated with berry quantity, berry weight, skin bloom and berry length, respectively. Leaf length was in significant positive correlation with berry shape, berry skin bloom, seed length, and seed weight and in negative correlation with seed quantity. Principal component analysis showed that 77.75 % of the phenotypic variability was explained by all components for the studied individuals. Variables such as seed length, width and weight, berry length and weight, spine length, leaf length, berry quantity, and seed quantity were predominant in the first three components and contributed most of the total variation. The present results have an important implication for characterization, improvement and conservation of barberry germplasm.

Anti-Cancer Properties of the Naturally Occurring Aphrodisiacs: Icariin and Its Derivatives

Epimedium (family Berberidaceae), commonly known as Horny Goat Weed or Yin Yang Huo, is commonly used as a tonic, aphrodisiac, anti-rheumatic and anti-cancer agent in traditional herbal formulations in Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea. The major bioactive compounds present within this plant include icariin, icaritin and icariside II. Although it is best known for its aphrodisiac properties, scientific and pharmacological studies suggest it possesses broad therapeutic capabilities, especially for enhancing reproductive function and osteoprotective, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective effects. In recent years, there has been great interest in scientific investigation of the purported anti-cancer properties of icariin and its derivatives. Data from in vitro and in vivo studies suggests these compounds demonstrate anti-cancer activity against a wide range of cancer cells which occurs through various mechanisms such as apoptosis, cell cycle modulation, anti-angiogenesis, anti-metastasis and immunomodulation. Of note, they are efficient at targeting cancer stem cells and drug-resistant cancer cells. These are highly desirable properties to be emulated in the development of novel anti-cancer drugs in combatting the emergence of drug resistance and overcoming the limited efficacy of current standard treatment. This review aims to summarize the anti-cancer mechanisms of icariin and its derivatives with reference to the published literature. The currently utilized applications of icariin and its derivatives in cancer treatment are explored with reference to existing patents. Based on the data compiled, icariin and its derivatives are shown to be compounds with tremendous potential for the development of new anti-cancer drugs.

The Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences of Five Epimedium Species: Lights into Phylogenetic and Taxonomic Analyses.

Epimedium L. is a phylogenetically and economically important genus in the family Berberidaceae. We here sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of four Epimedium species using Illumina sequencing technology via a combination of de novo and reference-guided assembly, which was also the first comprehensive cp genome analysis on Epimedium combining the cp genome sequence of E. koreanum previously reported. The five Epimedium cp genomes exhibited typical quadripartite and circular structure that was rather conserved in genomic structure and the synteny of gene order. However, these cp genomes presented obvious variations at the boundaries of the four regions because of the expansion and contraction of the inverted repeat (IR) region and the single-copy (SC) boundary regions. The trnQ-UUG duplication occurred in the five Epimedium cp genomes, which was not found in the other basal eudicotyledons. The rapidly evolving cp genome regions were detected among the five cp genomes, as well as the difference of simple sequence repeats (SSR) and repeat sequence were identified. Phylogenetic relationships among the five Epimedium species based on their cp genomes showed accordance with the updated system of the genus on the whole, but reminded that the evolutionary relationships and the divisions of the genus need further investigation applying more evidences. The availability of these cp genomes provided valuable genetic information for accurately identifying species, taxonomy and phylogenetic resolution and evolution of Epimedium, and assist in exploration and utilization of Epimedium plants.

The complete chloroplast genome of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Berberidaceae)

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of the Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Berberidaceae) was determined in this study. The circular genome is 157,940 bp in size, and comprises a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,077 bp each, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 86,460 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 19,326 bp. The GC content of the whole cp genome was 38.5%. A total of 133 genes were identified, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. The whole cp genome consists of 114 unique genes, and 19 genes are duplicated in the IR regions. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that S. hexandrum is closely related to Nandina domestica within the family Berberidaceae.

The complete chloroplast genome of a medicinal plant Epimedium koreanum Nakai (Berberidaceae)

Epimedium koreanum is a perennial medicinal plant distributed in Eastern Asia. The complete chloroplast genome sequences of E. koreanum was obtained by de novo assembly using whole genome next-generation sequences. The chloroplast genome of E. koreanum was 157 218 bp in length and separated into four distinct regions such as large single copy region (89 600 bp), small single copy region (17 222 bp) and a pair of inverted repeat regions (25 198 bp). The genome contained a total of 112 genes including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis with the reported chloroplast genomes revealed that E. koreanum is most closely related to Berberis bealei, a traditional medicinal plant in the Berberidaceae family.

Traditional preference of Wild Edible Fruits (WEFs) for digestive disorders (DDs) among the indigenous communities of Swat Valley-Pakistan

Ethnopharmacological relevanceDigestive disorders (DDs) causes indisposition and lead to death, especially in the underdeveloped world where hygienic conditions are scarce. A major proportion of the human populace depends on the use of traditional knowledge about the consumption of medicinal plants for many diseases, including DDs. The contemporary study summarizes the indigenous uses of Wild Edible Fruits (WEFs) of Swat Valley used for DDs and to evaluate the bio-efficacy of these pharmacologically essential fruit species from the available literature. Material and methodsAn ethnomedicinal study was conducted in Swat valley, Northern Pakistan. Data was collected through field assessment as well as from traditional healers and local people by means of personal interviews and semi-structured questionnaires, giving value to both rural and urban communities. The ethnomedicinal knowledge was quantitatively analysed using various indices like Familiarity Index (FI), Consensus index (CI), Informant consensus factor (ICF) and the present data was compared with previous studies in the neighbouring areas using Jaccard similarity coefficient (JI). ResultsThe present study recorded use reports on 53 WEFs of ethnomedicinal prominence in the treatment of DDs, belonging to 23 families. The recurrent growth forms were trees (51%) shrubs (38%) and herbs (11%). High consumption of fruits (50%), leaves (27%) and flowers (12%) was recorded. The traditional preparations were mostly in the form of unprocessed dried/fresh, powder, Juice and decoction and were usually taken orally. Almost 20–30% of the plants occurred in synanthropic vegetation while more than 75% were found in natural woodland and grassland vegetation. Family Berberidaceae dominated with highest FIV (41) followed by Punicaceae (38), Oxalidaceae (36) and Moraceae (35). ICF values for carminative (0.6) showed high consensus factor followed by anthelmintic, gastroenteritis and intestinal disorders (0.5). FI value is high for Berberis lycium (0.5), Morus alba (0.5), Morus nigra (0.5) followed by Olea ferruginea (0.45). B. lycium had the high consensus index, whereas, a study conducted on Lesser Himalayas Pakistan showed high value of Jaccard similarity coefficient. ConclusionWEFs are predominantly used in the treatment of various diseases in the valley and traditional knowledge about the use of these species against DDs is still prevailing. Multiple uses of these WEFs suggest further investigation into its phytochemical, toxicological and pharmaceutical potential. This study will serve as a baseline data for future pharmacological studies.

The survey of antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds in fresh and dry hybrid Barberry fruits (Berberis integerrima× vulgaris)

Abstract. Berberis (Barberry) belongs to the family Berberidaceae and its use in traditional medicine has a long history. This plant is native to America and Europe and can be found in abundance in Iran. This research aims to assess and compare total phenolic and flavonoid content and measure antioxidant activity with DPPH radical scavenging and to measure Fe reduction capacity in aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extract of fresh and dried fruits of hybrid barberry Integerrima × Vulgaris . Total phenol and flavonoid content was measured by spectrophotometry and antioxidant activity of extracts using free radical DPPH and Fe reduction with FRAP assay. Maximum amount of phenol (59.57±0.83 mg of gallic acid/10 g barberry) was seen in aqueous extract of dried fruits while highest flavonoid content (1.93±0.03 mg of quercetin/10 g barberry) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (44.62±0.99) was observed in methanolic extract of fresh barberry and maximum Fe reduction level with FRAP (18.15±0.84) in ethanolic extract of dried of barberry. Results showed that barberry is a rich source of antioxidant compounds having significant antioxidant activity.

Rapid screening and distribution of bioactive compounds in different parts of Berberis petiolaris using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry

Berberis petiolaris Wall. ex G. Don, an unexplored medicinal plant belonging to the family Berberidaceae, is a large deciduous shrub found in Western Himalaya between 1800–3000m. Chemical profiling of fruit, leaf, root and stem was done by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry followed by multivariate analysis for discrimination among the plant parts. The bioactive compounds, including magnoflorine, berberine, jatrorrhizine, thalifendine/berberrubine, demethyleneberberine, reticuline, 8-oxoberberine, N-methyltetrahydroberberine, tetrahydropalmatine, tetrahydroberberine and palmatine, were identified by their exact mass measurement and the corresponding molecular formula of each compound. A comparative study of distribution pattern for all these bioactive alkaloids showed qualitative and quantitative variations in different parts of B. petiolaris. Principal component analysis clearly discriminated each part of B. petiolaris plant.

Pharmacokinetics and Brain Distribution and Metabolite Identification of Coptisine, a Protoberberine Alkaloid with Therapeutic Potential for CNS Disorders, in Rats.

Coptisine (COP), a protoberberine alkaloid (PBA) from Chinese medicinal plants (such as family Berberidaceae), may be useful for improving central nervous system disorders. However, its pharmacokinetics, disposition and metabolism are not well defined. In the present study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was established for the analysis of COP in biological samples. To better understand its in vivo pharmacological activities, COP concentrations in rat plasma were determined after oral (50 mg/kg) and intravenous administration (10 mg/kg). For the brain distribution study, the concentration of COP in five different regions was examined after intravenous administration at 10 mg/kg. Pharmacokinetic parameters from the COP concentration-time profiles in plasma and brain, and the brain-to-plasma coefficient (Kp, brain) were calculated by non-compartmental analysis. The metabolites of COP in rats in vivo and in vitro (urine, bile, liver microsomes and intestinal bacteria incubation) were also identified. Seventeen metabolites, including 11 unconjugated metabolites formed by hydroxylation, hydrogenation, demethylation, dehydrogenation, demethylation, and 6 glucuronide and sulfate conjugates were identified for the first time. The results suggested that COP had low oral bioavailability of 8.9% and a short (plasma) half-life (T1/2=0.71 h) in rats. After intravenous administration, it quickly crossed the blood-brain barrier, accumulating at higher concentrations and then was slowly eliminated from different brain regions. Moreover, COP was transformed into metabolites through multiple metabolic pathways in vivo and in vitro. These results should help to promote further research on COP and contribute to clarifying the metabolic pathways of PBAs.