Berberine is the primary active alkaloid found in Berberis vulgaris (barberry). A study published in the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013 Sep 5;13:218. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-218) examined the biological properties of berberine using in vitro methods (experiments performed in test tubes or culture dishes, outside a living organism).
In this laboratory study, berberine demonstrated strong antioxidant activity. It also showed inhibition of alpha-glucosidase, an enzyme involved in carbohydrate digestion, a mechanism shared by some antidiabetic medications. Berberine additionally inhibited acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme target of several drugs used in dementia research. The compound also reduced the growth of certain cancer cell lines under laboratory conditions.
The authors concluded that both barberry crude extract and its active alkaloid, berberine, were effective at suppressing lipid peroxidation, a marker of oxidative stress. They suggested that these antioxidant effects may be relevant to conditions associated with oxidative damage, including liver oxidative stress. The study also reported that the ethanolic extract of Berberis vulgaris did not inhibit the growth of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), indicating a lack of toxicity in this experimental model.
