Use Of Berberine Research Articles

Inflammatory markers and noncoding-RNAs responses to low and high compressions of HIIT with or without berberine supplementation in middle-aged men with prediabetes.

This study compared the capacity of two different models of HIIT [high-(HC) and low-(LC) compression], with or without the use of berberine (BBR), on NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein-3 (NLRP3), H19, interleukin (IL)-1β, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and insulin resistance markers. Fifty-four middle-aged men with overweight or obesity and prediabetes [fasting blood glucose (FBG) 110-180 mg/dL] were randomly and equally assigned to the HC, LC, HC + BBR, LC + BBR, BBR, and non-exercising control (CON) groups. The HC (2:1 work-to-rest) and LC (1:1 work-to-rest) home-based training programs included 2-4 sets of 8 exercises at 80%-95% HRmax, twice a week for 8 weeks. Participants in the berberine groups received approximately 1000 mg daily. All exercise interventions led to a significant reduction in hs-CRP, IL-1β, insulin, FBG, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) versus CON. Notably, there was a significant reduction in FBG and HOMA-IR with the BBR group compared to the baseline. Both NLRP3 and H19 experienced a significant drop only with LC in comparison to the baseline. While both exercise protocols were beneficial overall, LC uniquely exhibited more anti-inflammatory effects, as indicated by reductions in H19 and NLRP3. However, the addition of berberine to the exercise programs did not demonstrate additional benefits.

Review of berberine use for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus & students’ survey

Introduction: Berberine is a naturally occurring alkaloid substance that can be extracted from various plants and can be found in medicinal herbs. The goal of this study is to conduct a literature review of the clinical use of berberine and assess the knowledge and opinion of pharmacy students on its beneficial effect as a blood sugar-reducing supplement. Methodology: An online survey was developed and sent to 42 students with a 100% response rate. The focal point of the remaining 15 questions was based on knowledge and perceptions regarding Berberine. Results: A total of 42 individuals participated in the survey. The majority of the participants were female (64.29%); between 24- 26 years old age range (40.48%); live in the DMV area where the study was conducted (42.86%). When asked about work experience, 50% of those who took the survey answered full-time, and 16 (38.10%) worked part-time. The majority (61.9%) indicated high knowledge about feeling comfortable with the beneficial use of berberine in reducing blood sugar. However, their overall knowledge score was 59.5% which is much less than the passing score set at 70%. When looking at how comfortable participants were regarding dietary supplements, the majority (n=25; 59.5%) were positive in their comfort. But only a third of participants (n=14; 33.3%) had the opportunity to interact with patients to discuss dietary supplements. Interestingly, more than two-thirds (n=29; 69%) of participants had taken supplements in the past for various personal reasons and the majority (n=28; 66.7%) of participants responded that they are currently taking supplements including vitamins. However, because of the low number of participants as a limitation of this study, a larger study with students in the medical field is recommended as a future plan. Conclusion: Overall, students showed a low level of knowledge despite their high opinion. The study shows the need to expose students more to dietary and herbal supplements during their pharmacy program. This would allow them to meet their patients’ needs upon graduation particularly if they chose to practice in a community pharmacy setting.

Emerging trends and research foci of berberine on tumor from 2002 to 2021: A bibliometric article of the literature from WoSCC.

Background: Cancer, also known as a malignant tumor, is caused by the activation of oncogenes, which leads to the uncontrolled proliferation of cells that results in swelling. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. The main variables limiting the efficacy of anti-tumor treatments are side effects and drug resistance. The search for natural, safe, low toxicity, and efficient chemical compounds in tumor research is essential. Berberine is a pentacyclic isoquinoline quaternary ammonium alkaloid isolated from Berberis and Coptis that has long been used in clinical settings. Studies in recent years have reported the use of berberine in cancer treatment. In this study, we performed a bibliometric analysis of berberine- and tumor-related research. Materials and methods: Relevant articles from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2021, were identified from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) of Clarivate Analytics. Microsoft Excel, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and an online platform were used for the literary metrology analysis. Results: A total of 1368 publications had unique characteristics. Publications from China were the most common (783 articles), and Y. B. Feng (from China) was the most productive author, with the highest total citations. China Medical University (Taiwan) and Sun Yat-sen University (China) were the two organizations with the largest numbers of publications (36 each). Frontiers in Pharmacology was the most commonly occurring journal (29 articles). The present body of research is focused on the mechanism, molecular docking, and oxidative stress of berberine in tumors. Conclusion: Research on berberine and tumors was thoroughly reviewed using knowledge map and bibliometric methods. The results of this study reveal the dynamic evolution of berberine and tumor research and provide a basis for strategic planning in cancer research.

Study on the mechanisms of action of berberine combined with fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant strains of Talaromyces marneffei

Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei (T. marneffei) is a thermally dimorphic fungus that can cause opportunistic systemic mycoses. Our previous study demonstrated that concomitant use of berberine (BBR) and fluconazole (FLC) showed a synergistic action against FLC-resistant T. marneffei (B4) in vitro. In this paper, we tried to figure out the antifungal mechanisms of BBR and FLC in T. marneffei FLC-resistant. In the microdilution test, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of FLC was 256 μg/ml before FLC and BBR combination, and was 8 μg/ml after combination, the partial inhibitory concentration index (FICI) of B4 was 0.28. After the treatments of BBR and FLC, the studies revealed that (i) increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), (ii) reduce ergosterol content, (iii) destroy the integrity of cell wall and membrane, (iv) decrease the expression of genes AtrF, MDR1, PMFCZ, and Cyp51B however ABC1 and MFS change are not obvious. These results confirmed that BBR has antifungal effect on T. marneffei, and the combination with FLC can restore the susceptibility of FLC-resistant strains to FLC, and the reduction of ergosterol content and the down-regulation of gene expression of AtrF, Mdr1, PMFCZ, and Cyp51B are the mechanisms of the antifungal effect after the combination, which provides a theoretical basis for the application of BBR in the treatment of Talaromycosis and opens up new ideas for treatment of Talaromycosis.

A Novel Berberine–Glycyrrhizic Acid Complex Formulation Enhanced the Prevention Effect to Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Pharmacokinetic Modulation of Berberine in Rats

Developing a new drug delivery system is one of the useful approaches to overcome the limited use of berberine (BBR) to enhance its absorption and bioavailability. We prepared a novel berberine–glycyrrhizic acid (BBR–GL) complex formulation to increase the plasma concentration and bioavailability of BBR by improving BBR solubility and lowering the absorption barrier. The complex formulation with BBR and GL in the ratio 1:1 was developed through the self-assembly process and evaluated in vitro. Compared with BBR and BBR/GL physical mixture, the BBR–GL complex showed different characteristics by SEM, DSC, FT-IR, and PXRD measurement. In pharmacokinetic evaluation, the BBR–GL complex significantly increased the plasma concentration of BBR and the major metabolite berberrubine (BBB), with the AUC of BBR elevated to 4.43-folds, while the complex was safe as BBR. Furthermore, doxorubicin (DOX) was used to induce cardiotoxicity. Hematological study, histopathological examinations, electrocardiography (ECG), cardiac secretion measurement, and biochemical index analysis proved that the model of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) was conducted successfully. With the AUC of BBR increasing in the BBR–GL complex and the absorbed complex itself, the BBR–GL complex enhanced prevention effect to DIC and exhibited a significant prevention effect to attenuate heart damage. Our findings demonstrated that a novel BBR-loaded BBR–GL complex formulation could increase BBR plasma concentration. Improvement of BBR bioavailability by the BBR–GL complex could coordinate with GL to attenuate DIC. Concerning the safety of the drug delivery system at present, the BBR–GL complex could be a potential therapeutic formulation for the prevention of cardiac damage in the clinical application of doxorubicin.

Effect of berberine on cancer cell motility in glioma, lung cancer, and prostate cancer cell cultures.

e15079 Background: Initially, berberine was used as an antimicrobial agent in traditional medicine, but its anticancer properties were later discovered. In addition to its cytotoxic effect, berberine also has the ability to inhibit cell motility, which has been demonstrated in some permanent cancer cell lines. The objective of this study was to assess berberine anti-migratory activity in permanent cell cultures compared to primary cell cultures which are generally thought to better reflect tumor characteristics. Methods: H1299 lung cancer, PC3 prostate cancer, and T98G glioma cells, as well as primary cell cultures of the corresponding cancer obtained in our laboratory, were planted in an amount of 15*104 cells per well of a 24-well plate (Biofil, China) in DMEM medium (Gibco, USA) supplemented with 10% FBS (HyClone, USA). After cell adhesion berberine was added in concentration 5 µM, and a wound healing assay was performed according to the standard procedure. Cell plates were continuously incubated and photographed in Lionheart FX imager (BioTek, USA) at 37°C and 5.0% CO2. The extent of cell migration was measured as the percentage reduction in wound area after 48 hours of incubation relative to baseline. Data are presented as Mean ± 95% confidence interval (n = 12). Results: The use of berberine at a concentration of 5 µM led to a significant decrease in cell motility in permanent cultures of lung cancer, glioma and prostate cancer. Namely, the reduction in the wound area after 48 hours of incubation with bereberine was 74.52±12.3% (compared with 94.56±6.2% in the control) in H1299 cell culture, 38.22±10.6% (compared with 83.89±15.5% in the control) in T98G cell culture, and 48.6±7.5% (compared with 69.56±8.1% in the control) in PC3 cell culture. The resulting difference between the control and experimental groups in permanent cell cultures was statistically significant at a significance level of 5% (df = 22). At the same time, the values of wound area reduction for primary cultures of the same cancers did not differ significantly in the control and under the influence of 5 μM berberine at the accepted level of significance. Namely, the reduction in the wound area after 48 hours of incubation with bereberine was 84.79±11.2% (compared with 81.47±15.3% in the control) in lung cancer primary cell culture, 94.64±5.1% (compared with 91.73±6.8% in the control) in glioma primary culture, and 62.63±5.8% (compared with 61.1±8.9% in the control) in prostate cancer primary cell culture. Conclusions: Permanent cell lines are more sensitive to berberine anti-migratory activity than primary cancer cell lines of the same localization.

Berberine in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder most common in women in reproductive age. The global incidence varies from 6% to 20% depending on the diagnostic criteria used, and is also the most common cause of infertility. This disease is related to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Berberine is a compound that affects the cardiovascular system and carbohydrate metabolism, which is why there are attempts to introduce it into the therapy of patients with PCOS. Material and methods: The literature was reviewed in the PubMed scientific base in the years 2012-2022 using the following keywords: berberine, polycystic ovary syndrome. Results: Research show that the use of berberine may have a positive effect on the waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, improve lipid parameters, lower the concentration of androgens, and reduce insulin resistance. In addition, a promising effect is the stabilization of the menstrual cycle and improvement of ovulation. There are reports that this drug may also restore the normal composition of the intestinal microflora disrupted in PCOS. Side effects are rare and mild, which confirms the safety of this substance. Conclusions: Polycystic ovary syndrome affects many women, leading to numerous and serious side effects, so it is important to develop an effective treatment with as few side effects as possible. Berberine is a promising prospect, but more studies are needed on larger groups of patients to confirm these reports and develop an effective treatment regimen. Keywords: berberine, polycystic ovary syndrome.

Effect of berberine on irritable bowel syndrome: A symptom-based review

Phytotherapeutic applications have gained a place in the symptomatic treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, one of the most common diseases globally among functional bowel diseases. This study aimed to compile evidence regarding the efficacy of berberine in relieving the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. In this review, the electronic databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and Web of Science were used, and current publications were searched without any language restrictions. The screening was performed by first performing a general search using the keyword "berberine and irritable bowel syndrome", followed by individual searches for each symptom. Although there are many preclinical studies investigating the effect of berberine on the gastrointestinal tract, human studies are still limited. Studies show that berberine may positively affect abdominal pain, diarrhea, inflammation, microbiota, and visceral hypersensitivity, although the mechanisms of action are not yet clear. However, available data suggest that the therapeutic use of berberine in irritable bowel syndrome may be limited to the predominant type of diarrhea and selected patients whose symptoms are evaluated individually. Evidence presented in this paper needs to be further supported by human clinical studies.

The naturally-derived alkaloids as a potential treatment for COVID-19: A scoping review.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), which has a high mortality rate and transmissibility. In this context, medicinal plants have attracted attention due to the wide availability and variety of therapeutic compounds, such as alkaloids, a vast class with several proven pharmacological effects, like the antiviral and anti‐inflammatory activities. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to summarize the current knowledge of the potential applicability of alkaloids for treating COVID‐19. A systematic search was performed on PubMed and Scopus, from database inception to August 2021. Among the 63 eligible studies, 65.07% were in silico model, 20.63% in vitro and 14.28% clinical trials and observational studies. According to the in silico assessments, the alkaloids 10‐hydroxyusambarensine, cryptospirolepine, crambescidin 826, deoxynortryptoquivaline, ergotamine, michellamine B, nigellidine, norboldine and quinadoline B showed higher binding energy with more than two target proteins. The remaining studies showed potential use of berberine, cephaeline, emetine, homoharringtonine, lycorine, narciclasine, quinine, papaverine and colchicine. The possible ability of alkaloids to inhibit protein targets and to reduce inflammatory markers show the potential for development of new treatment strategies against COVID‐19. However, more high quality analyses/reviews in this field are necessary to firmly establish the effectiveness/safety of the alkaloids here described.

The effects of berberine on inflammatory markers in Chinese patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: a meta‑analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundA meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to systematically evaluate the effects of berberine on the inflammatory markers of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and related disorders.MethodDatabases that were searched from inception to October 2020 included PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Two reviewers independently selected articles and extracted data. The pooled evaluations were entered and analyzed in Review Manager 5.3.ResultsOf the 7387 publications screened, 52 studies were included, and the related trials involved 4616 patients. Pooled estimates showed that the use of berberine could significantly reduce the concentration level of C-reactive protein (CRP) [standardized mean difference (SMD) = − 1.54, 95% confidence intervals (CI) − 1.86, − 1.22, p < 0.05], tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) [SMD = − 1.02, 95% CI − 1.27, − 0.77, p < 0.05], and interleukin 6 (IL-6) [SMD = − 1.17, 95% CI − 1.53, − 0.81, p < 0.05] among patients with MetS and related disorders. However, it did not affect the level of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) [SMD = − 0.81, 95% CI − 1.80, 0.17, p = 0.11].ConclusionOverall, the use of berberine in patients with MetS and related disorders appeared to significantly decrease several inflammatory markers. Further multi-center and rigorous investigations with larger patient populations are encouraged to confirm the effect of berberine on MetS and related disorders.

The Use of Berberine in Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Two Sides of the Same Coin. A Bibliometric Analysis

: The increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes has prompted scientists to look for new active and safe molecules that may help the prevention of metabolic disorders: hyperglycemia, insulin-resistance and dyslipidemia. Berberine is an alkaloid compound derived from plants, and it is largely used in traditional Chinese medicine. The aim of this study is to investigate in SCOPUS and Web of Science (WOS) databases how the scientists focused on the use of berberine against metabolic disorders, in human subjects. We carried A bibliometric analysis of scientific literature and performed 2 searches: 1) “Berberine” AND “Diabetes” AND “Diabetes Type 2”, 2) “Berberine” AND “Metabolic Syndrome”, both in ARTICLE (Title/Abstract/Keyword) with a time limitation of 1st January, 2000 through 31st December, 2018, with the filter on “HUMAN” AND/OR “HUMANS”. The research sorted out 500 papers, finding about 300 (60 %) in the first search definition and 200 (40 %) in the second. The refined research sorted out 46 papers regarding the use of berberine in diabetes, and 40 articles on the use of the alkaloid compound in metabolic syndrome. For both topics, we found increasing interest between 2008 and 2009, with citation trends in a constant crescendo in the overall period studied. These findings underlined that berberine is a safe and interesting botanical compound, especially against chronic-metabolic disorder that affects billions of people globally, and emphasized that scientists are interested in searching for long-term therapies that show no major adverse effects.

Berberine as a Potential Anticancer Agent: A Comprehensive Review

Berberine (BBR), a potential bioactive agent, has remarkable health benefits. A substantial amount of research has been conducted to date to establish the anticancer potential of BBR. The present review consolidates salient information concerning the promising anticancer activity of this compound. The therapeutic efficacy of BBR has been reported in several studies regarding colon, breast, pancreatic, liver, oral, bone, cutaneous, prostate, intestine, and thyroid cancers. BBR prevents cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and controlling the cell cycle as well as autophagy. BBR also hinders tumor cell invasion and metastasis by down-regulating metastasis-related proteins. Moreover, BBR is also beneficial in the early stages of cancer development by lowering epithelial–mesenchymal transition protein expression. Despite its significance as a potentially promising drug candidate, there are currently no pure berberine preparations approved to treat specific ailments. Hence, this review highlights our current comprehensive knowledge of sources, extraction methods, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profiles of berberine, as well as the proposed mechanisms of action associated with its anticancer potential. The information presented here will help provide a baseline for researchers, scientists, and drug developers regarding the use of berberine as a promising candidate in treating different types of cancers.

The role of berberine, a clinically relevant plant-derived alkaloid, in T-cell mediated immunosuppression

Abstract Preliminary research revealed a novel function of berberine (BBR), a clinically relevant plant-derived alkaloid, as a suppressor of follicular T helper (Tfh) cell proliferation in secondary lymphoid organs of BBR-treated mice that underwent immunization for arthritis induction in a collagen induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model, a common murine model for rheumatoid arthritis. As the interaction between Tfh cells and B cells is crucial for thymus-dependent humoral responses, this raises concern that the prolonged use of berberine could suppress the generation of such responses. In our current research we explored the effects of BBR in vitro on the differentiation of Tfh cells from naïve CD4+T cells (&amp;gt;95% pure) by examining the expression of the key Tfh cell surface molecules CXCR5, ICOS, and PD1 following BBR treatment. Such molecules are crucial for Tfh cell effector function. The treatment of BBR at 0.25 mg/mL, 0.50 μg/mL, and 1 mg/mL significantly reduced the expression of both CXCR5 (p &amp;lt;0.01) and ICOS (p &amp;lt; 0.01), but not PD1. It is important to note that in preliminary dose-response experiments, 0.50 mg/mL was the highest dose of BBR that did not significantly lead to cell death, indicating that the decreased expression of CXCR5 and ICOS at 0.25 mg/mL and 0.50 mg/mL are likely not due to cytotoxic effects. In the future, we plan to elucidate the mechanism by which BBR inhibits the expression of CXCR5 and ICOS by examining key cell signaling pathways that lead to Tfh activation and differentiation, and ultimately to CXCR5 and ICOS expression, following BBR treatment.

Berberine Prolongs Mouse Heart Allograft Survival by Activating T Cell Apoptosis via the Mitochondrial Pathway.

Berberine, which is a traditional Chinese medicine can inhibit tumorigenesis by inducing tumor cell apoptosis. However, the immunoregulatory of effects berberine on T cells remains poorly understood. Here, we first examined whether berberine can prolong allograft survival by regulating the recruitment and function of T cells. Using a major histocompatibility complex complete mismatch mouse heterotopic cardiac transplantation model, we found that the administration of moderate doses (5 mg/kg) of berberine significantly prolonged heart allograft survival to 19 days and elicited no obvious berberine-related toxicity. Compared to that with normal saline treatment, berberine treatment decreased alloreactive T cells in recipient splenocytes and lymph node cells. It also inhibited the activation, proliferation, and function of alloreactive T cells. Most importantly, berberine treatment protected myocardial cells by decreasing CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration and by inhibiting T cell function in allografts. In vivo and in vitro assays revealed that berberine treatment eliminated alloreactive T lymphocytes via the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, which was validated by transcriptome sequencing. Taken together, we demonstrated that berberine prolongs allograft survival by inducing apoptosis of alloreactive T cells. Thus, our study provides more evidence supporting the potential use of berberine in translational medicine.

The Effect of Berberine on Metabolic Profiles in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective Rhizoma Coptidis is an herb that has been frequently used in many traditional formulas for the treatment of diabetic mellitus (DM) over thousands of years. Berberine, the main active component of Rhizoma Coptidis, has been demonstrated to have the potential effect of hypoglycemia. To determine the potential advantages of berberine for diabetic care, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of patients with type 2 DM. Methods Eight databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Database (SinoMed), Wanfang Database, and Chinese VIP Information was searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting clinical data regarding the use of berberine for the treatment of DM. Publication qualities were also considered to augment the credibility of the evidence. Glycemic metabolisms were the main factors studied, including glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasm glucose (FPG), and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (2hPG). Insulin resistance was estimated by fasting blood insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and body mass index (BMI). Lipid profiles were also assessed, including triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), along with inflammation factors such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and adverse events were applied to evaluate the safety of berberine. Results Forty-six trials were assessed. Analysis of berberine applied alone or with standard diabetic therapies versus the control group revealed significant reductions in HbA1c (MD = −0.73; 95% CI (−0.97, −0.51)), FPG (MD = −0.86, 95% CI (−1.10, −0.62)), and 2hPG (MD = −1.26, 95% CI (−1.64, −0.89)). Improved insulin resistance was assessed by lowering FINS (MD = −2.05, 95% CI (−2.62, −1.48)), HOMA-IR (MD = −0.71, 95% CI (−1.03, −0.39)), and BMI (MD = −1.07, 95% CI (−1.76, −0.37)). Lipid metabolisms were also ameliorated via the reduction of TG (MD = −0.5, 95% CI (−0.61, −0.39)), TC (MD = 0.64, 95% CI (−0.78, −0.49)), and LDL (MD = 0.86, 95% CI (−1.06, −0.65)) and the upregulation of HDL (MD = 0.17, 95% CI (0.09, 0.25)). Additionally, berberine improved the inflammation factor. Conclusion There is strong evidence supporting the clinical efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of DM, especially as an adjunctive therapy. In the future, this may be used to guide targeted clinical use of berberine and the development of medications seeking to treat patients with T2DM and dyslipidemia.

Effect of berberine associated with photodynamic therapy in cell lines.

Cervical cancer is a serious worldwide health problem. In view of the potentially harmful effects of current conventional therapies, photodynamic therapy may be an option as it is a minimally invasive therapy and can promote selective cytotoxic activity for neoplastic cells in the target tissue., Berberine (BBR) as an isolated molecule is a natural compound that has antineoplastic properties and potential action as a photosensitizer agent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of berberine as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy (PDT) protocols and observe the effects produced by this association in cervical carcinoma cells and in immortalized keratinocytes. Incubation with 2.5 μM berberine promoted less than 10 % of cellular death in both cell lines studied. In addition, by fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrated that berberine was internalized by the cells, and after a period of 48 h, it was still present in the intracellular environment preferentially localized in the cytoplasm. After photodynamic therapy using berberine as a photosensitizer and visible light activation at 447 (±10) nm, we observed a phototoxic effect, which resulted in 19.84 % cell viability for Caski cells and 47.22 % cell viability for HaCaT. Treatment with berberine associated with photodynamic therapy promoted an increase in the production of reactive species of oxygen (ROS) and caspase-3 activity, indicating a preferential cell death mechanism by caspase-dependent apoptosis. Therefore, we demonstrated that berberine is an efficient photosensitizer and that its association with photodynamic therapy may be a potential anticancer treatment strategy for cervical cancer.

A Laconic Review on Extraction, Biological Activities of Herbal Formulations of Berberine: A Traditional Drug

Herbal formulation dosage form consists of one or more herbs processed in specified quantities to provide specific nutritional, cosmetic benefits use to diagnose the disease. Herbal formulations contain an active substance and preparation in combination of one or more herbal compounds. Berberis aristata is one of herbs of an ancient Ayurveda medicine and different properties along with various treatment of illness. Berberine, is a type of alkaloid which is quarternary protoberberine, is one of the known bioactive compounds scattered extensively in a number of clinically significant medicinal plants such as Hydrastis canadensis L., Phellodendron amurense R. ,Coptis japonica M., and Berberine containing plants have been used in traditional and folk medicine around the globe for centuries. It has been used for a, anti-pyretic diarrhea, bitter tonic, and eye infections. In the past three eras, Berberine has been studied intensively in over thousands cases because of its therapeutics, physicochemical effects, pharmacological, and physiological effects such as cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, anti leshmanial, and anti- secretory, effects. Berberine act as a phytoconstituents in formulations and available in ayurveda, allopathy, and homeopathy medicines. With this review, we will evaluate the various traditional and medicinal use of Berberine and their isolation and extraction procedure. We will also review the potential of this plant as various dosage forms for the treatment of various diseases.&#x0D; Keywords: Berberine; Extraction Method; Isolation method; Skin problems

Therapeutic Potential of Berberine in the Treatment of Glioma: Insights into Its Regulatory Mechanisms.

Glioma is known as one of the most common primary intracranial tumors accounting for four-fifths of malignant brain tumors. There are several biological pathways that play a synergistic, pathophysiological role in glioma, including apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress, and cell cycle arrest. According to previous rese arches, the drugs used in the treatment of glioma have been associated with significant limitations. Therefore, improved and/or new therapeutic platforms are required. In this regard, multiple flavonoids and alkaloids have been extensively studied in the treatment of glioma. Berberine is a protoberberine alkaloid with wide range of pharmacological activities, applicable to various pathological conditions. Few studies have reported beneficial roles of berberine in glioma. Berberine exerts its pharmacological functions in glioma by controlling different molecular and cellular pathways. We reviewed the existing knowledge supporting the use of berberine in the treatment of glioma and its effects on molecular and cellular mechanisms.

Berberine induces resistance against tobacco mosaic virus in tobacco.

Plant systemic resistance induced by botanical compounds is a promising alternative method of disease management. The natural product berberine, usually used as an antimicrobial in medicine, has been proven to have antifungal activity in agriculture. To investigate the induced resistance imparted by berberine, the effect of berberine against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and the mechanism governing this effect were determined. Berberine exhibited considerable in vivo anti-TMV activity of up to 68.3% but had no in vitro direct effect on TMV. Moreover, berberine could induce immune responses against TMV in tobacco, including the hypersensitive reaction (HR), accumulation of H2 O2 , increases in defense enzymes and overexpression of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. In addition, upregulation of salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis genes PAL, CM1, ICS, PBS3 and the enzyme benzoic acid 2-hydroxylase (BA2H) confirmed that SA was involved in the defensive signals. Berberine can induce crop resistance against TMV, Phytophthora nicotianae, Botrytis cinerea and Blumeria graminis in the greenhouse. This paper highlights the use of berberine in manipulating tobacco to generate defense responses against TMV, which can be attributed to SA-mediated induced resistance. The paper provides a theoretical basis for the application of berberine as a resistance activator and for further research on induced resistance by botanical natural product. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Berberine for diarrhea in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Diarrhea is a ubiquitous digestive system disease, leading to loss of fluid and electrolytes, and may be life-threatening, especially in children and adults who are immunosuppressed or malnourished. Berberine has a broad-spectrum antibiotic activity and is very widely used to treat diarrhea in China. No systematic review has been carried out to evaluate the evidence presented in clinical trials. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of berberine in diarrhea treatment among children and adults.Methods:Seven databases and two clinical trial registries were searched on 1 September 2019. Randomized controlled trials were included, where participants were diagnosed (first diagnosed) as having diarrhea according to clear diagnostic criteria. Berberine alone or in combination with Western medication as intervention were included. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on children or adults, acute or persistent diarrhea, infectious or noninfectious and treatment courses. Primary outcomes were clinical cure rate and duration of diarrhea. The GRADE tool was used to assess the quality of evidence.Results:A total of 38 randomized controlled trials were included involving 3948 participants (including 27 trials on 2702 children) were included. Compared with antibiotics, berberine plus antibiotics showed better results in both adults and in children in general, especially when given for 7 days or 3 days in acute infectious diarrhea of children. Compared with the control groups, using berberine alone or in combination with montmorillonite, probiotics, and vitamin B increased the clinical cure rate of diarrhea. The use of berberine alone or berberine combined with montmorillonite reduced the duration of hospitalization. Using berberine had significantly better laboratory indicators (isoenzyme, inflammatory factors, myocardial enzyme, and fecal trait) and fewer systemic symptoms than the no berberine groups. Overall, 22 of 27 trials on children used berberine as an enema. No deaths and serious adverse events were reported. The quality of evidence of included trials was moderate to low or very low. The impact of different dosages, frequencies and treatment durations on the outcomes was not evaluated due to insufficient number of trials.Conclusion:This review demonstrated that berberine was generally effective in improving clinical cure rates and shortening the duration of diarrhea compared with control groups. No severe adverse event was reported. However, there is still a lack of high-quality evidence for evaluating the efficacy and safety of berberine.Trial registration:PROSPERO CRD42020151001 (available from http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/).