Berberis vulgaris: benefits, dosage, contraindications
Other name(s)
common barberry
Scientific name(s)
Berberis vulgaris
Family or group:
Plants
Active ingredients:
Berberine
Indications
Rating methodology
EFSA approval.
Liver disorders ✪✪✪✪✪
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely linked to obesity, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Several animal and human studies have shown that berberine, a major active in barberry, can reduce liver fat and improve levels of various enzymes and metabolic markers. A clinical trial with 184 patients revealed that a dose of 500 mg of berberine three times a day for 16 weeks significantly reduced liver fat and liver enzymes. A meta-analysis confirmed the efficacy of berberine on blood glucose, blood lipids, insulin resistance, liver function, and the condition of fatty liver in NAFLD patients. Another study analyzed the effect of an aqueous extract of barberry on the activities of transaminases in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The clinical trial included 80 patients, divided into a control group and a group treated with the barberry extract. The results showed a significant decrease in liver enzyme levels (ALT and AST), cholesterol, and triglycerides in the treated group, suggesting that barberry may have a hepatoprotective effect. Barberry acts against liver disorders mainly through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, berberine present in barberry has been associated with improvement in lipid metabolism and insulin resistance, which are key factors in the development of NAFLD.
Posologie
Oral: root
750 mg
3 months
Synergies
Metabolic syndrome ✪✪✪✪✪
Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a set of metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, posing a significant cardiovascular risk factor. Studies support the pharmacological actions of barberry and its main active component, berberine, such as anti-obesity, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and hypolipidemic properties, which may be useful in treating metabolic syndrome. Clinical trials have shown that taking barberry improved lipid profiles, reduced cellular stress, and decreased inflammation markers. Berberine has also demonstrated significant improvements in metabolic syndrome, including reductions in systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, triglycerides, and insulin secretion. Although these clinical studies support the potential benefits of berberine and barberry in metabolic syndrome, larger and longer-term studies are needed to better define their therapeutic role in metabolic syndrome.
Posologie
Oral: root
1500 mg
A review of the effects of Berberis vulgaris and its major component, berberine, in metabolic syndrome
Berberis vulgaris: specifications and traditional uses
Berberine and barberry (Berberis vulgaris): A clinical review
The effects of Berberis vulgaris L. and Berberis aristata L. in metabolic syndrome patients: a systematic and meta-analysis study
Digestion disorders ✪✪✪✪✪
Barberry has a long traditional use in cases of dyspepsia. It positively impacts symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea due to its analgesic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. A clinical study showed the beneficial effects of berberine on irritable bowel syndrome.
Posologie
Oral: root
900 mg
Diarrhea ✪✪✪✪✪
Berberine from barberry has been extensively used in China for a long time to treat diarrhea and gastroenteritis. Its pharmacological effects, such as inhibiting smooth muscle contractions, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial actions, contribute to its effectiveness against diarrhea. Clinical trials have shown significant improvements in infectious diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea. In a study with 196 patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, the daily intake of 400 mg berberine reduced the frequency of symptoms, including abdominal pain and diarrhea frequency. Another study on diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli showed that 400 mg of berberine significantly reduced stool volume.
Posologie
Oral: root
400 mg
Kidney stones ✪✪✪✪✪
In traditional medicine, barberry is used to treat kidney stones and other urinary tract diseases. Animal studies support the medicinal use of this plant against urinary stone disease. However, there are not yet clinical trials evaluating this effect in humans. A clinical study with 90 patients with renal atherosclerosis showed that berberine may improve these patients' renal function. The intake of berberine for 4 weeks significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, thus improving renal function. Another two-year clinical study conducted in 69 hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes demonstrated that the administration of berberine in addition to standard antihypertensive and hypoglycemic treatments significantly reduced biochemical markers of renal damage, oxidative stress, and improved renal function.
Posologie
Oral: root
Acne ✪✪✪✪✪
A study examined the effect of aqueous extract of barberry fruits on acne. This double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with 50 adolescents suffering from moderate to severe acne. They received either an aqueous barberry extract (600 mg per day for 4 weeks) or a placebo. The results showed a significant reduction in acne lesions and severity in the group treated with barberry, without notable side effects, suggesting the benefits of barberry in treating acne.
Posologie
Oral: fruit
600 mg
4 - weeks
Breast cancer ✪✪✪✪✪
A study evaluated the impact of barberry juice consumption on plasma levels of various growth factors and the expression of certain genes in women with benign breast diseases. The randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial involved 85 patients, divided into two groups: one group received barberry juice and the other a placebo for 8 weeks. The study revealed that barberry juice consumption leads to a significant decrease in certain growth factor concentrations and a down-regulation of the expression of certain genes associated with angiogenesis. These results suggest that barberry may have preventive benefits against breast cancer development.
Posologie
Oral: fruit, root
480 mL
Properties
Lipid-lowering
Berberine, a compound from the root of the barberry, is an effective agent for lowering cholesterol through its varied mechanisms of action. Berberine works by decreasing the expression of PCSK9 (a protein playing a key role in cholesterol regulation in the blood), which promotes the absorption of cholesterol by the liver and its conversion to bile, thus helping to reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the blood. Additionally, berberine stimulates a protein named AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), thus limiting the synthesis of fatty acids. Studies on animals and clinical trials on humans have shown that berberine can effectively reduce triglyceride and LDL levels and improve blood lipid levels in patients with mild hyperlipidemia.
Usages associés
Anticancer
Berberine, the main active of the barberry, demonstrates extensive cytotoxic activities against many types of human cancers, including colorectal, breast, ovarian, liver, leukemia, melanoma, pancreatic, prostate, and others. In vivo studies on animal models with induced tumors have shown that berberine can inhibit the growth of lung metastases in liver cancer, suppress leukemia, and prostate cancer. Several mechanisms of action are suggested, such as down-regulation of cyclin B1 (a cell cycle regulatory protein) reducing cancer cell proliferation by disrupting protein synthesis needed for cell division and inducing autophagic cell death via the mTOR signaling pathway and DNA binding.
Usages associés
Hepatoprotective
The barberry possesses a protective effect on the liver against damage caused by free radicals and toxins. The barberry root extract has shown positive activity on liver enzymes and inhibitory effects on oxidative stress. In an experiment on rats, barberry extracts mitigated liver damage induced by toxic substances such as carbon tetrachloride. These extracts reduced levels of liver enzymes, malondialdehyde (MDA, an oxidative stress marker), and increased glutathione (GSH) levels and antioxidant enzyme activities.
Usages associés
Antihypertensive
Barberry has a long use in traditional Iranian medicine and traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of hypertension. Its mechanism of action involves increasing acetylcholine and causing peripheral vasodilation by anti-cholinesterase.
Usages associés
Antibacterial
Barberry extracts and particularly berberine have shown antibacterial activity against various bacteria, including Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Shigella dysenteriae, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Helicobacter pylori. Berberine is even considered an effective alternative, with Helicobacter pylori eradication rates comparable to those of conventional regimens according to several clinical studies. In dermatology, the aqueous extract of barberry has shown anti-acne effects due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. A clinical study on adolescents with acne revealed that daily administration of barberry extract significantly reduced the severity of acne without notable side effects. Another clinical research focusing on women suffering from bacterial vaginosis compared the effect of a vaginal gel based on barberry extract (5%) with a metronidazole vaginal gel (0.75%). The results showed that the barberry plus metronidazole group had a better response than the group treated only with metronidazole gel, suggesting a complementary antibacterial action of the barberry.
Usages associés
Anti-urolithic
Berberine, an alkaloid found in barberry, has shown anti-urolithic potential. In an animal model of urolithiasis, berberine (10 mg/kg) prevented the deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in kidney tubules and the resulting physical manifestations, including weight loss, renal function alteration, and oxidative stress.
Usages associés
Safety dosage
Adult:
- Decoction: 5 g of barberry root bark in 500 ml of water. Boil and filter. - Mother tincture: 15 to 20 drops or as per manufacturer's instructions. - Dry extracts usually providing a minimum of 500 mg of Berberine.
Interactions
Médicaments
Cyclosporine: strong interaction
Berberine, the major active compound in barberry, can reduce the metabolism and increase the serum levels of cyclosporine. Berberine may inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), which metabolizes cyclosporine.
Cytochrome P450 3A4: moderate interaction
In vitro research and preliminary clinical studies show that berberine moderately inhibits CYP3A4. Using berberine with drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 could increase drug concentrations and raise the risk of adverse effects. Example: cardiovascular drugs; antiarrhythmics: quinidine, lidocaine, amiodarone; statins: simvastatin, atorvastatin; calcium channel blockers: nifedipine, nitrendipine, nimodipine, amlodipine, felodipine, verapamil, diltiazem...
Contraindications
Child: prohibited
Oral use of berberine (a component of barberry) in newborns can be dangerous. Berberine can cause kernicterus (brain injury caused by the deposition of unconjugated bilirubin in the basal ganglia and brain stem), especially in premature newborns with hyperbilirubinemia.
Pregnant woman: prohibited
Berberine (a component of barberry) can cross the placenta and harm the fetus. Kernicterus (brain damage caused by the deposition of unconjugated bilirubin in the basal ganglia and brain stem) has developed in newborns exposed to berberine. Furthermore, berberine may stimulate uterine contractions.
Breastfeeding woman: prohibited
Berberine (a component of barberry) can pass into breast milk.
