Berberine and Its Role in Chronic Disease
Abstract
Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as Berberis [e.g. Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), Berberis vulgaris (barberry), Berberis aristata (tree turmeric)], Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Xanthorhiza simplicissima (yellowroot), Phellodendron amurense [2] (Amur corktree), Coptis chinensis (Chinese goldthread), Tinospora cordifolia, Argemone mexicana (prickly poppy) and Eschscholzia californica (Californian poppy). In vitro it exerts significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. In animal models berberine has neuroprotective and cardiovascular protective effects. In humans, its lipid-lowering and insulin-resistance improving actions have clearly been demonstrated in numerous randomized clinical trials. Moreover, preliminary clinical evidence suggest the ability of berberine to reduce endothelial inflammation improving vascular health, even in patients already affected by cardiovascular diseases. Altogether the available evidences suggest a possible application of berberine use in the management of chronic cardiometabolic disorders.
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Maternal administration of natural compounds could also protect offspring from cardiovascular dysfunction through direct effects on the heart or by mitigating GDM-induced obesity or other cardiometabolic conditions.
“Therefore, maternal administration of natural compounds could also protect offspring from cardiovascular dysfunction through direct effects on the heart or by mitigating GDM-induced obesity or other cardiometabolic conditions.”
From Recent Experimental Studies of Maternal Obesity, Diabetes during Pregnancy and the Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease (2022) · cites this paper as [145]
Berberine has been shown to exhibit other beneficial cardiometabolic effects, including lipid lowering and anti-inflammatory effects.
“Berberine has also been shown to exhibit other beneficial cardiometabolic effects, including lipid lowering and anti-inflammatory effects [144,145].”
From Recent Experimental Studies of Maternal Obesity, Diabetes during Pregnancy and the Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease (2022) · cites this paper as [145]
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“Berberine has also been shown to exhibit other beneficial cardiometabolic effects, including lipid lowering and anti-inflammatory effects [144,145].”
BackgroundDumitru, C. N., Marcu, T., Dumitru, A. O., Tudor, S. S., Ferțu, I. D., Elisei, A.-M., & Goroftei, L. (2026) · Pharmaceuticals · doi:10.3390/ph19081313 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Cicero, A. F. G., & Baggioni, A.
- Affiliations
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di Sant'Orsola (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Cicero, Arrigo F. G.
- ORCID
- Cicero, Arrigo F. G.
- Venue
- Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Published
- 2016
- Volume
- 928
- Pages
- 27-45
- ISSN
- 0065-2598 (ISSN-L)
- 2214-8019
- OpenAlex
- W2525906202
- Cited by
- 285
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 5
- FWCI
- 31.55
- Type
- book chapter
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Advances in experimental medicine and biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Berberine and alkaloids research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Traditional Chinese Medicine Analysis
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Keywords
- berberine, protoberberine alkaloids, isoquinoline alkaloids, anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity, neuroprotection, cardioprotection, hypolipidemic effect, insulin resistance, endothelial inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cardiometabolic disease, Berberis, goldenseal, Coptis chinensis, Tinospora cordifolia
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Berberine, Chronic Disease, Glucose, Humans, Signal Transduction, Lipid Metabolism
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