Berberine: Biochemical Analysis and Cardiovascular Benefits

Berberine is an alkaloid found in plants such as goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis L.), European barberry or jaundice berry (Berberis vulgaris L.), and Chinese goldthread or Huanglian (Coptis chinensis Franch.). Goldenseal can be grown in Canada and natural health products derived from this plant have been found on consumer shelves. In this review, a UPLC-based analysis of berberine in a goldenseal product is presented. The linear range for berberine is from 10 to 500 g/mL with a coefficient of determination (R) of 0.9996. Two major cardiovascular benefits of berberine are discussed: lipid lowering and antioxidant effects. Berberine has been shown to lower blood cholesterol through the stabilization of LDL receptor mRNA and to lower triglycerides through activation of AMPK, which in turn, targets two other enzymes involved in lipid biosynthesis, ACC and HMG CoA reductase. For its antioxidant effects, berberine has been shown to directly scavenge ROS/RNS species, to upregulate endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms and to inhibit endogenous ROS/RNSgenerating oxidases such as NADPH oxidase. Berberine has potential to be used as a complementary therapy for hyperlipidemia and for prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________