• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.1-9
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• 2011

Objectives: We performed this study to compare the antidiabetic effects of Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and its major component berberine with gliclazide. Materials and Methods: Diabetic rats induced by injection of streptozotocin (STZ) 55mg/kg were treated with CR 100, 200, 400mg/kg and berberine 100mg/kg. After rats were treated for 5 days, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, BUN, creatinine and antioxidant levels were determined. Results: The cytotoxic effects of CR (0.1, 0.01, and 0.001mg/mL), berberine and gliclazide ($0.1{\mu}M$, $1{\mu}M$, and $10{\mu}M$) were tested in rat insulinoma (RIN) cells induced with 5mM STZ. The levels of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, BUN and creatinine of CR and berberine treated groups were reduced as much as that of gliclazide group in comparison to control groups, whereas total antioxidant levels increased. In vitro experiments showed that CR and berberine have a cytoprotective effect on RIN cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.320-323
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• 2011

We conducted this study to investigate whether berberine signifi cantly affects MUC5AC mucin gene expression and mucin production induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) from human airway epithelial cells. Confl uent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with varying concentrations of berberine for 30 min and then stimulated with EGF, PMA or TNF-${\alpha}$ for 24 h. MUC5AC mucin gene expression and mucin production were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Berberine was found to inhibit the expression of MUC5AC mucin gene induced by EGF, PMA or TNF-${\alpha}$. Berberine also inhibited the production of MUC5AC mucin protein stimulated by the same inducers. This result suggests that berberine can regulate the expression of mucin gene and production of mucin protein, by directly acting on human airway epithelial cells.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 2006

We evaluated the potential of major components of Phellodendri cortex to inhibit the activities of CYP2D6 and p-glycoprotein. The abilities of berberine, palmatine, limonin, and rutaecarpine to inhibit CYP2D6-mediated dextromethorphan O-demethylation and calcein AM accumulation were tested using human liver microsomes and L-MDR1 cell, respectively. Berberine strongly inhibited CYP2D6 isoform activity, whereas limonin and reuaecarpine did not. The $IC_{50}$ value of berberine was reduced after preincubation with microsomes in the presence of NADPH generating system, suggesting that berberine is a mechanism based inhibitor. In addition, all chemicals tested, didn't show inhibitory effect on p-glycoprotein activity. These results suggest that berberine has potential to inhibit CYP2D6 activity in vitro. Therefore, in vivo studies investigating the interactions between berberine and CYP2D6 substrates are necessary to determine whether inhibition of CYP2D6 activity by berberine is clinically relevant.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.1396-1402
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• 2000

The effects of Coptis chinensis Franch(CCF) extract on the growth, acid production, cell adherence and glucosyltransferase(GTase) activity of Streptococcus mutans JC-2 were investigated. Methanol extract from CCF showed a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of S. mutans. The minimal inhibition concentration(MIC) of the methanol extract was determined as $130\;{\mu}g/mL$, whereas MIC of water extract was $200\;{\mu}g/mL$. MICs of berberine and palmatine were $50\;{\mu}g/mL$ and $110\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively, showing stronger antimicrobial activities than the extracts of CCF. Antimicrobial activities of methanol extract, berberine and palmatine were not decreased by heating at $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 min, suggesting that the antimicrobial components including berberine and palmatine are heat-stable. Acid production of S. mutans was decreased by methanol and water extracts, berberine and palmatine. The activity of GTase was inhibited by methanol extract, berberine and palmatine at $300\;{\mu}g/mL$ with 23.2%, 46.1% and 17.1%, respectively, but was not inhibited by water extract. The water extract and palmatine at sub-MICs inhibited the adherence of S. mutans to glass surface by 59.2% and 41.7%, respectively. These results suggest that CCF extracts have anticariogenic effects and could be used as an anticariogenic food additive.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.216-223
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• 2022

Objectives: Oxidative stress plays a key role in chronic and acute brain disorders and neuronal damage associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) and other neurodegeneration symptoms. The neuroprotective effects of berberine and Berberis vulgaris (barberry) root extract against apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the human SH-SY5Y cell line were studied. Methods: The methanolic extraction of barberry root was performed using a maceration procedure. Oxidative stress was induced in SH-SY5Y cells by H₂O₂, and an MTT assay was applied to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of berberine and barberry root extract. The cells were pretreated with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of each compound (including berberine, barberry root extract, and H₂O₂), and the anti-apoptotic effects of all components were investigated using RT-PCR. Results: The SH-SY5Y cell viability increased in both groups exposed to 75 and 150 ppm barberry extract compared with that in the H₂O₂-treated group. The data showed that exposing SH-SY5Y cells to 30 ppm berberine significantly increased the cell viability compared with the H₂O₂-treated group; treatment with 150 and 300 ppm berberine and H₂O₂ significantly decreased the SH-SY5Y cell viability and was associated with berberine cytotoxicity. The mRNA levels of Bax decreased significantly under treatment with berberine at 30 ppm compared with the control group. A significant increase in Bcl-2 expression was observed only after treatment with the IC₅₀ of berberine. The expression level of Bcl-2 in cells exposed to both berberine and barberry extracts was also significantly higher than that in cells exposed to H₂O₂. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study suggest that treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with barberry extract and berberine could suppress apoptosis by regulating the actions of Bcl-2 family members.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.80 no.2
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• pp.232-236
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• 1991

The efficacy of berberine sulphate, a fluorochrome having binding properties with both DNA and RNA, was investigated for the detection of mycoplasma-like organisms(MLOs) in jujube(Zizyphus jujuba), paulownia(Paulownia tomentosa), mulberry(Morus alba) trees and periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) plant. When examined under fluorescence microscope, berberine sulphate-stained sections of diseased samples showed distinct MLO-specific fluorescent particles in the phloem area, while such fluorescence was absent in the healthy ones. This staining technique was proved to be a very accurate method for the diagnosis of MLO infections in woody and herbaceous plants. Furthermore, the cheap and easy procedure could be used to test a great number of samples on MLO infections with reliability and rapidity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.522-528
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• 2003

The growth responses of Phellodendron amurense root-derived materials against seven intestinal bacteria were examined, using an impregnated paper disk agar diffusion method and spectrometric method under $O_2$-free condition. The biologically active constituent of the P. amurense root extract was characterized as berberine chloride ($C_{20}H_{18}NO_{41}Cl$) using various spectroscopic analyses. The growth responses varied depending on the bacterial strain, chemicals, and dose tested. At 1 mg/disk, berberine chloride strongly inhibited the growth of Clostridium perfringens, and moderately inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus mutans without any adverse effects on the growth of three lactic acid-bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum, B. longum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus). The structure-activity relationship revealed that berberine chloride exhibited more growth-inhibiting activity against C. perfringens, E. coli, and S. mutans than berberine iodide and berberine sulfate. These results, therefore, indicate that the growth-inhibiting activity of the three berberines was much more pronounced as chloridated analogue than iodided and sulphated analogues. As for the morphological effect caused by 1 mg/disk of berberine chloride, most strains of C. perfringens were damaged and killed, indicating that berberine chloride showed a strong inhibition against C. perfringens. As naturally occurring growth-inhibiting agents, the P. amurense root-derived materials described could be useful as a preventive agent against diseases caused by harmful intestinal bacteria such as clostridia.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.55-67
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• 2008

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Hwangryunhaedok-tang, its major component Coptidis Rhizoma, and the major component of Coptidis Rhizoma, berberine, on the expression of behavioral sensitization induced by the repeated administration of nicotine. Methods: Experimental ratswere divided into 3 groups and each group treated with saline, nicotine, and Hwangryunhaedok-tang. Experiments were performed on 4 further groups, each group treated with saline, nicotine, Coptidis Rhizoma, and berberine. To obtain rats addicted todrugs, nicotine was injected repeatedly. After 3 days of withdrawal phase, on the 11th day, rats were re-exposed to nicotine and thus able to induce the expression of the activity sensitization phenomenon successfully. To examine the change of c-Fos in the brain of experimental rats with the nicotine-induced activity sensitization, their neurological activation rate was assessed by c-Fos staining with Fos-like immunihistochemistry of the dopamine releasing area, the striatum and the nucleus accumbens. Results: The result demonstrate that Hwangryunhaedok-tang, its major component Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine,the major component of Coptidis Rhizoma, significantly reduced the walking activity rate in the drug addict models induced by nicotine administration, and Coptidis Rhizoma and its major component berberine reduce the marker of the neurological activation c-Fos, and thus revealed an effect of suppressing drug addiction. Conclusions: These results suggest the possibility of Hwangryunhaedok-tang, its major component Coptidis Rhizoma and the major component of Coptidis Rhizoma, berberine,as therapeutic for nicotine addiction.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.332-334
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• 1999

Corydalis Tuber has been used in traditional medicine for an analgesic, antispasmodic and gastric ulcers. For the quality control on this drug, isolation and quantitative determination of berberine and coptisine from Corydalis ternata Nakai (Papaveraceae) has been conducted by using HPLC method. Berberine and coptisine in quarternary alkaloidal fraction from the crude drug were separated on silicagel column using a $CHCl_3:MeOH\;(85:15)$ and $CHCl_3:MeOH:H_2O\;(70:30:4)$ as an eluent, and the average contents were about 0.93 and 0.36%.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2001

The Phellodendri Cortex of Phellodendron amurense (Rutaceae) is known to contain a number of isoquinoline alkaloid, and berberine, palmatine, jateorrhizine, phellodendrine and magnoflorine are the major constituents of protoberberine alkaloids. For the determination of protoberberine alkaloids from Phellodendri Cortex and berberine chloride from the preparation, the new spectrophotometric method was developed with a simple and selective sample clean-up using thiocyanatocobaltate[II] complex ion. Samples were extracted with 0.1 mM hydrochloric acid, potassium biphthalate reagent, thiocyanatocobaltate reagent and 1.2-dichloroethane for 60 min. The absorbance of protoberberine alkaloid complexes in 1.2-dichloroethane solution was measured at 625 nm. Calibration curve for berberine was linear over the concentration range of 0.05~0.30 mg/ml 1.2-dichloroethane. The method proved to be rapid, simple and reliable for the determination of protoberberine alkaloids from Phellodendri Cortex and berberine chloride from the preparation.