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    Berberine

    Sources include Oregon Grape Berberis aquifolium, Mahonia a Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies): Before European colonists arrived, the indigenous peoples of North America treated all manner of complaints with Oregon grape.1 The berries were used for poor appetite. A tea made from the root was used to treat jaundice, arthritis, diarrhea, fever, and many other health problems Active constituents: Alkaloids, including berbamine, canadine, hydrastine, and the most famous, berberine, account for the beneficial activity of Oregon grape. Berberine has been shown to effectively treat diarrhea in patients infected with E. coli.2 One of the ways berberine may ease diarrhea is by slowing the transit time in the intestine.3 Berberine inhibits the ability of bacteria to attach to human cells, which helps prevent infections, particularly in the throat, intestines, and urinary tract.4 These actions, coupled with berberine's ability to enhance immune cell function,5 make Oregon grape possibly useful for mild infections. Berberis vulgaris Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies): Traditionally, in European and American herbalism, barberry was used to treat a large number of conditions, particularly infections and stomach problems.1 It has also been used internally to treat skin conditions. Active constituents: The alkaloid berberine receives the most research and widest acclaim as the active component of barberry and its relatives. Berberine is also a key constituent of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Berberine and its cousins (such as oxyacanthine) are antibacterial2 and have been shown to kill an amoeba in a test tube study.3 Berberine inhibits bacteria from attaching to human cells, which helps prevent an infection from occurring.4 This compound treats diarrhea caused by bacteria, such as E. coli.5 Berberine also stimulates some immune system cells to function better.6 Berbamine is another alkaloid found in barberry; it helps reduce inflammation7 and is an antioxidant.8 The bitter compounds in Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies): Goldenseal was used by the Native Americans as a treatment for irritations and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary tracts. Active constituents: The two primary alkaloids in goldenseal are hydrastine and berberine, along with smaller amounts of canadine. Little research has been done with goldenseal itself. Berberine, which ranges from 0.5-6.0% of the alkaloids present in goldenseal root and rhizome, has been the most extensively researched. It appears to have a wide spectrum of antibiotic activity against pathogens, such as Chlamydia species, E. coli, Salmonella typhi, and Entamoeba histolytica.2 Human studies have used isolated berberine to treat diarrhea and gastroenteritis with good results.3 The whole root has not been clinically studied

  1. 1/30/02 Inhibition by berberine of cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activity in human colon cancer cells. J Ethnopharmacol 1999 Aug;66(2):227-33 PMID The enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is abundantly expressed in colon cancer cells and plays a key role in colon tumorigenesis. Compounds inhibiting COX-2 transcriptional activity have therefore potentially a chemopreventive property against colon tumor formation. An assay method for estimating COX-2 transcriptional activity in human colon cancer cells was established using a beta-galactosidase reporter gene system, and examination was made of various medicinal herbs and their ingredients for an inhibitory effect on COX-2 transcriptional activity. We found that berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid present in plants of the genera Berberis and Coptis, effectively inhibits COX-2 transcriptional activity in colon cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner at concentrations higher than 0.3 microM. The present findings may further explain the mechanism of anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor promoting effects of berberine.

  2. 1/30/02 Effects of berberine on arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity in human colon tumor cells Am J Chin Med 1999;27(2):265-75 PMID: 10467460 The viability and NAT activity in a human colon tumor cell line was inhibited by berberine in a dose-dependent manner, i.e., the higher the concentration of berberine, the higher the inhibition of NAT activity and cell death. The NAT activities measured in the intact human colon tumor cells were decreased over 50% by AAF and NAc-PABA production from acetylation of AF and PABA. The apparent values of Kmoff and Vmax of NAT from colon tumor cells were also inhibited by berberine in cytosols and in intact cells. This report is the first to show that berberine did affect human colon tumor cell NAT activity.

  3. 1/30/02 Huanglian, A chinese herbal extract, inhibits cell growth by suppressing the expression of cyclin B1 and inhibiting CDC2 kinase activity in human cancer cells Mol Pharmacol 2000 Dec;58(6):1287-93 PMID: 11093765 Huanglian is an herb that is widely used in China for the treatment of gastroenteritis. We elected to determine whether huanglian could inhibit tumor cell growth by modulating molecular events directly associated with the cell cycle. Huanglian inhibited tumor growth and colony formation of gastric, colon, and breast cancer cell lines in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Cell growth was completely inhibited after 3 days of continuous drug exposure to 10 microg/ml of herb. This degree of growth inhibition was significantly greater than that observed with berberine, the major constituent of the herb

  4. 5/5/02 Anticachectic effects of the natural herb Coptidis rhizoma and berberine on mice bearing colon 26/clone 20 adenocarcinoma Int J Cancer 2002 May 10;99(2):286-291 PMID: 11979446 CR supplementation significantly attenuated weight loss in tumor-bearing mice without changing food intake or tumor growth. Furthermore, these mice maintained good nutritional status. IL-6 mRNA levels in tumors and spleens and IL-6 protein levels in tumors and sera were significantly lower in tumor-bearing mice treated with CR supplement than in those treated with a normal diet. CR supplementation did not affect food intake, body weight, nutritional parameters and IL-6 levels in non-tumor-bearing mice. An in vitro study showed that C. rhizoma and its major component, berberine, inhibited IL-1-induced IL-6 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner in colon 26/clone 20 cells. Our results showed that C. rhizoma exerts an anticachectic effect on colon 26/clone 20-transplanted mice and that its effect is associated with tumor IL-6 production. We also suggest that its effect might be due to berberine

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