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Berberis vulgaris L. (Berberidaceae)

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Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants

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Abstract

A deciduous shrub, native to central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia, naturalized in northern Europe, North America, and other countries. B. vulgaris was reportedly used by the native Americans in cases of general debility, and to improve appetite. When early settlers observed this, they employed root as bitter tonic, and also used it in the treatment for ulcers, heartburn and stomach problems in small doses. In small doses, it is a tonic, and in large doses, a purgative, and largely used to relieve heat, thirst and nausea; especially useful in scarlet fever and brain affection. In Bulgarian folk medicine, root extracts have been used in rheumatic and other chronic inflammatory disorders, and in Russia to treat chronic cholecystitis. In Iranian traditional medicine the fruits are credited with antiarrhythmic and sedative properties. Twenty-two alkaloids have been reported from root, stem, leaves and fruit of B. vulgaris. Major constituents are berberine, palmatine, berbamine and jatrorrhizine; other constituents include columbamine, oxyacanthine, bervulcine, coptisine isotetrandrine and magnoflorine. Aqueous fruit extract significantly reduces mean arterial BP and HR in normotensive and hypertensive rats; and antagonizes phenylephrine effects on isolated rat aortic rings. Antihypertensive and vasodilatory effects are suggested to be mainly endothelium-independent. The aqueous fruit extract also significantly reduced blood glucose of normal and diabetic rats, with significant decreases in TC and TGs levels; protected mice against lead-induced oxidative stress and liver toxicity, and exhibited antihistaminic and anticholinergic activity. In a double-blind, RCT, type 2 diabetic patients, administered fruit extract for 3-months had significant decreases in serum TC, LDL-C, TGs, apo B, glucose, and insulin levels, and significant increase in total antioxidant capacity.

B. aristata and B. vulgaris are used interchangeably in Unani and Ayurvedic medicines as Zarishk .

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  1. Stockton, CA, USA

    Shahid Akbar

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Akbar, S. (2020). Berberis vulgaris L. (Berberidaceae). In: Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16807-0_44

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