The Journal of Phytopharmacology, 2017;6(1):53-65 ; DOI:10.31254/phyto.2017.6108
A review on Pharmacological potential of Berberine; an active component of Himalayan Berberis aristata
Vikas Chander1 , J.S. Aswal2 , Rajendra Dobhal2 , D.P. Uniyal2
1. Junior Scientific Assistant, Uttarakhand Sate Council for Science & Technology (UCOST), Vigyan Dham, Jhajra, Dehradun-248007, Uttarakhand, India
2. Uttarakhand Sate Council for Science & Technology (UCOST), Vigyan Dham, Jhajra, Dehradun-248007, Uttarakhand, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 23rd January, 2017 / Accepted: 5th March, 2017
Plants have been the basis of many traditional medicines throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to provide new remedies to mankind. They are one of the richest sources of compounds. Berberis aristata is one of the major plants used in Ayurveda for several remedies. It is used as a tonic, alternative, demulscent, diaphoretic and diuretic, and in the treatment of diarrhoea, jaundice, skin diseases, syphilis, chronic rheumatism and urinary disorders. Scientific evidence suggests its versatile biological functions that support its traditional use in the orient. Phytochemical studies shows that plant Berberis aristata contains mainly yellow colored alkaloids Berberine, oxyberberine, berbamine, aromoline, a protoberberine alkaloid karachine, palmatine, oxycanthine and taxilamine and tannins, sugar, starch. Among the several compounds Berberine is main constitute having various pharmacological actions. It is, a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, occurs as an active constituent in numerous medicinal plants and has an array of pharmacological properties. It has been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for its antimicrobial, antiprotozoal, antidiarrheal and antitrachoma activity. Moreover, several clinical and preclinical studies demonstrate ameliorative effect of berberine against several disorders including metabolic, neurological and cardiological problems. This review provides a summary regarding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of berberine, with a focus on the different mechanisms underlying its multispectrum activity..
Berberis aristata, Berberine, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology.
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE
Chander V, Aswal JS, Dobhal R, Uniyal DP. A review on Pharmacological potential of Berberine; an active component of Himalayan Berberis aristata. J Phytopharmacol 2017;6(1):53-58.
Creative Commons (CC) License-
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0.