INTRODUCTION:

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) is a well-known medicinal plant in Iran and is also used as food additive. Iran is the biggest producer of B. vulgaris fruit in the world, with 11000 hectares of land under cultivation. Over 10000 tons of dried B. vulgaris¹. Medicinal uses of B. vulgaris in Chinese medicine date back to over 3000 years ago and in some other countries to over 2500 years ago². Different organs of B. vulgaris are used in food and pharmaceutical industries and the decorative species are used to decorate different places. According to traditional medicine, B. vulgaris is used to treat fever, cough, liver disease, depression, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and bleeding³.

Berberine, an isoquinoline plant alkaloid, belongs to the structural class of protoberberines. Berberine rep-resents one of the most studied among the naturally occurring protoberberine alkaloids⁴. Berberine is used for the treatment of different diseases. In a quantitative HPLC analysis of the main alkaloids in the roots, barks and stems of B. vulgaris, the amounts of berberine and berbamine were 1.24% and 2.5%, respectively. Although berberine is the most important alkaloid that is generally claimed to be responsible for their beneficial effects⁵.

In traditional medicine, this plant is used in several purposes, including cleansing of renal stones and urinary tract diseases and gastrointestinal, liver, and gallbladder diseases as well as circulatory system stimuli. Some traditional uses of Barberry are listed below.

Table 1: Some Traditional uses of Berberis vulgaris

System	Effect	Part of the plant
Cardiovascular	Antihypertensive	Dried leaves
	Antiedema	Stem shell
	Varicose vein treatment	Root
Gastrointestinal	Choleretic	Dried whole plant
	Cholagogue	Root
	Diarrhea	Root
	Bowel movement	Dried root shell
	Liver and gallbladder disorders	Dried root shell
	Intestinal ulcers	Root
	Hepatitis	Dried root shell
Endocrine	Dysmenorrhea	Fruit and Dried root
	Menorrhagia	Root
	Contraceptive	Root
Immune system	Anti-inflammatory	Dried root
	Rheumatoid arthritis	Dried root shell + stem shell
	Gout	Flower
Central nervous system	Reduce fever	Dried fruit
Central nervous system	Sedative	Dried root
Renal	Diuretic	Dried root
	Kidney inflammation	Dried root
	Nephritis	Dried root shell

Taxanomy:

Kingdom: Plantae

Subkingdom: Viridiplantae

Infrakingdom: Streptophyta

Superdivision: Embryophyta

Division: Tracheophyta

Subdivision: Spermatophytina

Class: Magnoliopsida

Superorder: Ranunculanae

Order: Ranunculales

Family: Berberidaceae

Genus: Berberis

Species: Berberis L.

Genus Berberis is native to moderate and semitropical regions of Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America. Different plants of genus Berberis can occur in many regions across the world including Iran⁶

Morphology:

Berberis vulgaris:

The plant is Very branchy perennial shrub, 1–3m tall, spiny, with yellow wood and obovate leaves.it isa 100-180cm thorny bush with leaves, yellow flowers and rectangle red fruits. The shiny flowers are androgynous, which are typically found in composite pendant clusters or panicle with 10-20 flowers in each panicle. Barberry fruits have reddish-brown color and can reach up to 13 mm Berries are ellipsoid or elliptically oblong, up to 12 mm long, scarlet. Blossoms in May/June^7-8.

Berberis aristata:

It is an vertical spiny shrub, ranging between 2 and 3 meters in height wood, hard and yellow; bark, yellow to brown from outside and deep yellow from inside, removable in longitudinal strips by hand; spines (which, in fact, are modified leaves), three-branched and 1.5 cm long. Leaves are in tufts of 5 to 8, phyllotaxy verticillate, simple spiny, lanceolate, toothed, leathery, sessile, acuminate, with reticulate pinnate venation, 4.9cm. long, 1.8cm. broad, deep green on the dorsal surface and light green on the ventral surface.

Flowers are stalked, yellow, complete, hermaphrodite, cyclic, actinomorphic, perigynous, the average diameter of a fully opened flower being 12.5mm; inflorescence, a simple to corymbose raceme, with 11 to 16 flowers per cluster. Fruits are 7mm long, 4mm in diameter, weighing 227mg, 237 microlitres in volume. Fruit color is aconite violet. Seeds Seeds are 2 to 5 in number, varying in color from yellow to pink, each weig weighing 25mg and being 29 microlitres in volume^9-14.

Berberis croatica:

Berberis croatica is a mountainous, deciduous, up to 60 cm tall shrub characterized by small, thick, more rigid leaves as well as shorter and more erect inflorescences with fewer flowers than common barberry. Apart from morphological characteristics, the most important property that distinguishes B. croatica from B. vulgaris is the presence of stomata on the upper leaf epidermis. On the other hand, B. croatica shares with B. aetnensis the presence of stomata on the adaxial leaf side, but it differs from it by some morphological traits, such as shorter and less developed spines¹⁵.

Phytoconstituents:

About 22 alkaloid compounds have been identified in the roots, the leaves, and the fruits of Barberry Studies about the chemical components of the extract of this plant show that alkaloids with an isoquinoline core such as protoberberine, berberamine, tetrandrine, chondocurine, and palmatine are among the important contents of Barberry. In the quantitative HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) analysis of the principal alkaloids of the root, shell, and stem of B. vulgaris, berberine and barbramine were reported 1.24% and 2.5%, respectively. The anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties of these compounds are very important Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, carotenoid, vitamin, protein, lipid, anthocyanin and phenolic compounds. The highest amounts of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins can be found in B. vulgaris juice and the highest amount of flavonoid compounds in B. vulgaris leaves. Regarding the importance of investigating B. vulgaris quality, the amount of anthocyanin in the fruit to be an important index of B. vulgaris quality. The concentrations of flavonol, flavonoid, and phenol of B. vulgaris fruit are 25.3mg/g, 12.2mg/g, and 0.54mg/g, respectively.

B. vulgaris fruit is sour and contains different nutrients including dextrose, fructose, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, pectin, and resin. It is also rich in vitamins C and A, calcium, iron, and potassium. In B. vulgaris fruit, the concentrations of iron, zinc, copper, and manganese are estimated 2650mg/kg, 27.5mg/kg, 33.7mg/kg, and 58.6mg/kg, respectively. In Iran, dried B. vulgaris fruit is used in many foods. As well, the fruit or its derivatives are used to produce certain products such as sauce, jelly, juice, jam, marmalade, and carbonated drinks. Besides that, B. vulgaris, considered of nature-based and useful substance, is used to season, flavor, and garnish foods to satisfy different sapors. This fruit is also used in industries. For example, the anthocyanin found in B. vulgaris fruit is used as a nature-based color^16-20.

Structures of some of the important constituents of Berberis vulgaris:

Name of structure	Structure
Berberine
Palmatine
Berlambine
Berbamine
Malic Acid
Oxyberberine
Ascorbic acid
Columbamine
Citric acid

Phytochemical analysis:

Several methods have been reported for the analysis of phytoconstituents present in Berberis vulgaris. Review of literature has revealed that the chief constituents of the plant protoberberine, berberamine, tetrandrine, chondocurine, and palmatinehas been analyzed using HPLC, RPHPTLC, RP LC with UV, LC (UHPLC) etc.^21-32.

Pharmacological uses:

The amount of alkaloid is higher in the root bark than other organs of B. vulgaris. Berberine is one of the most important alkaloids of this plant that can be effective in preventing coronary artery disease, diabetics, vulgaris, acne and possibly reducing the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride. The most important property of berbamine is to block calcium channels. This alkaloid was found to be active in the tests of lipids peroxidation in red blood cells and can exert anti-myocardial ischemia and antiarrhythmic effects. Besides that, oxyaconthine has a sympatholytic and vasodilatory agent. B. vulgaris shows antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial effects in the ethanolic extract of barberry leaf and roots^33-39.

Traditional uses:

B. vulgaris species are used traditionally in various disorders. The stem bark, stem, roots and root bark of Berberis species have been widely used in Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and ethno-medicines as raw materials or ingredients. In Ayurveda, it is traditionally used to cure various infections of eye, ear and mouth, to lose weight, to heal wounds quickly, to cure piles and hemorrhoids, to treat dysentery, indigestion, uterine and vaginal disorders as well as to treat snake or Scorpion bite as an antidote. In Iranian traditional medicine, it is used to cure jaundice, enlarged liver, enlarged spleen, eye sores, toothache, and asthma and skin pigmentation, to dry unhealthy ulcers as well as to eliminate swelling and inflammation as orally and topically. B. vulgaris is also used to treat scorbutus, psoriasis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, diabetes, icterus, kidney stones, gout, rheumatism, and skin diseases. In traditional medicine of Bulgaria and Eastern world, the extracts of the roots of different species from family Berberidaceae are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases^40-45.

CONCLUSION:

This review provides valuable information about the morphology, phytochemistry, phytochemical analysis and pharmacological actions of the B. vulgaris. It is quite obvious from the review that protoberberine, berberamine, tetrandrine, chondocurine, and palmatine, malic acid are the chief constituent of these species and it has been analyzed using various techniques. These are widely used as an Antioxidant, antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-diabetic, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

We are thankful to the principal, management and colleagues for their support and guidance.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

The authors states that no conflict of interests.

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Received on 05.04.2023 Modified on 22.08.2023

Res. J. Pharmacognosy and Phytochem. 2024; 16(1):52-56.

DOI: 10.52711/0975-4385.2024.00011