Berberine

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CASNo=633-66-9
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PubChem=2353
SMILES=COC1=C(C2=C [N+] 3= C(C=C2C=C1)C4= CC5=C(C=C4CC3)OCO5)OC
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Formula=C₂₀H₁₈NO₄+
MolarMass=336.36122 g/mol
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Berberine is a quaternary plant alkaloid from the group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as "Berberis", goldenseal ("Hydrastis canadensis"), and "Coptis chinensis", usually in the roots, rhizomes, stems, and bark. Berberine is strongly yellow colored, which is why in earlier times berberis species were used to dye wool, leather and wood. Wool is still today dyed with berberine in Northern India. Under ultraviolet light, berberine shows a strong yellow fluorescence. [http://www.chemie.uni-jena.de/institute/oc/weiss/naturstoffe.htm Fluoreszenzfarbstoffe in der Natur] ] Because of this it is used in histology for staining heparin in mast cells. [http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail?ProdNo=B3251&Brand=SIGMA Anwendung als Cell Stain] ] As a natural dye berberin has a Colour Index (CI) of 75160.

As a drug, berberine has showed some activity against fungal infections, candida, yeast, parasites, and bacterial/viral infections. [cite journal |author=Birdsall TC, Kelly GS |title=Berberine: Therapeutic potential of an alkaloid found in several medicinal plants |journal=Altern Med Rev |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=94–103 |year=1997 |url=http://www.thorne.com/media/berberine.pdf |format=PDF] cite journal |author= |title=Berberine |journal=Altern Med Rev |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=175–7 |year=2000 |pmid=10767672 |doi= |url=http://www.thorne.com/media/berberine_monograph.pdf |format=PDF] Some research has been undertaken into possible use against MRSA infection. [cite journal |author=Yu HH, Kim KJ, Cha JD, "et al" |title=Antimicrobial activity of berberine alone and in combination with ampicillin or oxacillin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus |journal=J Med Food |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=454–61 |year=2005 |pmid=16379555 |doi=10.1089/jmf.2005.8.454] Although berberine has been tested and used in diabetes, prostate cancer cell lines,cite journal |author=Mantena SK, Sharma SD, Katiyar SK |title=Berberine, a natural product, induces G1-phase cell cycle arrest and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma cells |journal=Mol. Cancer Ther. |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=296–308 |year=2006 |pmid=16505103 |doi=10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-05-0448 |url=http://mct.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/5/2/296] liver and leukaemia cancers, [cite journal |author=Lin CC, Ng LT, Hsu FF, Shieh DE, Chiang LC |title=Cytotoxic effects of Coptis chinensis and Epimedium sagittatum extracts and their major constituents (berberine, coptisine and icariin) on hepatoma and leukaemia cell growth |journal=Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. |volume=31 |issue=1-2 |pages=65–9 |year=2004 |pmid=14756686 |doi=] cardiac arrhythmia, [cite journal |author=Lau CW, Yao XQ, Chen ZY, Ko WH, Huang Y |title=Cardiovascular actions of berberine |journal=Cardiovasc Drug Rev |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=234–44 |year=2001 |pmid=11607041 |doi=] and leukemia,cite journal |author=Lin CC, Lin SY, Chung JG, Lin JP, Chen GW, Kao ST |title=Down-regulation of cyclin B1 and up-regulation of Wee1 by berberine promotes entry of leukemia cells into the G2/M-phase of the cell cycle |journal=Anticancer Res. |volume=26 |issue=2A |pages=1097–104 |year=2006 |pmid=16619512 |doi=] it has not been researched thoroughly with humans. Berberine is considered an ineffective antibiotic, but a minority claim that when not tested in isolation but in conjunction with the other biochemical substances from the barberry plant, berberine might then be effective. [cite web |author=Kim Lewis |title=Research Description -- 3) Natural inhibitors of microbial resistance from medicinal plants |url=http://www.biology.neu.edu/faculty03/lewis03.html |publisher=Northeastern University |accessdate=2008-02-10]

ee also

* Goldenseal for a related pharmacological discussion.

Footnotes