The Berberine Plants

In general, wherever an herbalist would use Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), I have been using Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium, also identified as Berberis aquifolium) instead. Why? Because Goldenseal is an endangered plant globally (although it does grow wild here in Tennessee) and is very pricey. Oregon Grape is starting to become at risk (which explains its price getting higher). Both are among the berberine plants. So now I am turning more to Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) – another berberine plant  – because it is an invasive plant, and thus lower in price. There are other berberine plants as well, all over the world.

Berberine is a golden yellow alkaloid responsible for Goldenseal’s, Oregon Grape’s and Barberry’s color. Although berberine is in the branches of these plants, the roots have the most. You can scratch the stem – if you see yellow underneath the outer bark, that is berberine.

The alkaloids in the berberine plants, including berberine, are not very water soluble, which is why I prefer using the herb (in my case, Barberry) in a tincture where it is alcohol soluble. Note that barberry tincture dosage is the standard dosage for an adult. So this is not a low dosage herb. However, at higher dosage it can be toxic. According to Deborah J. Martin in her book Baneful!: 95 of the World’s Worst Herbs, high doses may lead to primary respiratory arrest and lethal kidney damage. So be advised!

Stephen Harrod Buhner in his book Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria notes that the berberine plants do have some antiviral properties, but they also have strong actions on the GI tract membrane and help it resist any microbial.

According to Stephen Harrod Buhner berberine-containing plants are active against a wide range of microorganisms, such as, Aspergillus sppl, Aureobasidium pullalans, Bacillus ereus, Bacillus subtillis, Blasto-cystis hominis, Candida spp., Chiamydia spp., Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Crypto-coccus neoformans, Dengue virus, Entamoeba histolytica, Enterobacter aerogenes, Epidermophyton floccosum, Erwnla carotavora, Escherichia coli, Fusarium nivale, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Giardia lamblia, Helicobacter pylori, Hepatitis B, Herpes simplex 1 and 2, Human cytomegalovirus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Leishmania spp., Malassezia spp., Microsporum spp., Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Propionbacterium acnes, Pserdomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonells typhimurium, Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus sanguinis, Trichoderma viride, Trichomonas vaginalis, Trichophyton spp., Trpanosoma cruzi, Vibrio cholerae, West Nile virus, Xanthomonas citri, Yellow fever virus, Zoogloea ramigera.

One study (a review of randomized controlled trials) suggests that berberine appears to be a useful and safe drug for improving spontaneous ovulation and enhancing fertility. This review found no solid evidence that berberine could improve live birth or other clinical outcomes in women with PCOS. However, berberine appeared to be more effective for improving insulin resistance and dyslipidemia and decreasing androgen levels and LH/FSH ratio in women with PCOS when compared with metformin.

In another study, Berberis vulgaris (Barberry) showed a beneficial effect in reducing blood pressure, enhancing cardiac contractility (enabling the heart to produce the power necessary for its pump function), and protection from reperfusion injury (tissue damage caused when blood supply returns to tissue after a period of ischemia or lack of oxygen). Moreover, it can modify major risk factors for cardiovascular disorders, such as oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. It was also reported that berberine could be more effective than aspirin in preventing platelet aggregation in patients with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (an ischemic condition of the brain, causing a persistent focal neurologic deficit in the area affected).

Besides resolving GI tract issues, I personally have used Barberry in two different cases.

The first case involved an interaction between my older cat’s jealousy and (to be honest) my stupidity. Turns out (and according to the vet) my older cat is a “feral vicious alpha” cat. All those years that she did not scratch or bite me, was strictly because she was “an only child” and I was spoiling her accordingly. Along comes a little kitten that someone dumped into the forest where I live and I discover a different side to my loving cat. A vicious side.

The bites and scratches on their own are bad, but unfortunately I am allergic to the cat bacteria. Many years ago I had been bitten by a cat and ended up in a hospital on an IV for a couple of weeks. But this time I did not go to the hospital.  When my cat struck, blood spurt everywhere – on the walls, all over the floor. I first ran my hand under cold water in order to slow down the flow of blood. I then took a dropperful of Barberry tincture and dripped it over my open wounds. Yes, the alcohol in the tincture stung, but I consider that a good thing. But more importantly was the berberine. See how the yellow stained my skin? Then I made up a small container of Barberry salve using air infused tallow and a couple of dropperfuls of Barberry Tincture that I mixed with a wooden stirring stick. My hand swelled up and stayed swollen for several weeks. I was unable to hold anything or use the hand until it healed. Every day I massaged my hand with the salve to help the Barberry seep into the skin. Gradually the swelling went down and the muscles began to function again. And best of all, no scars, no residual weakness.

The second case for using Barberry involved the healing of a family member. (And many others, after that.) According to the NIH, atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, is a non-contagious inflammatory skin condition. It is a chronic disease characterized by dry, itchy skin that can weep clear fluid when scratched. People with eczema also may be particularly susceptible to bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections. A search in pubmed for atopic dermatitis and berberine results in several articles. But I found one very definitive review which involved Coptidis Rhizome, which is the rhizome of Coptis chinensis.  This Chinese berberine plant has been widely used traditionally to treat bacillary dysentery, diabetes, pertussis, sore throat, aphtha (inflammation of the mucosa of the mouth), and (yes, what I was looking for) eczema in China. So when a family member asked about holistic herbal treatment for eczema, berberine comes to mind. And since tallow is also known to assist in treating eczema, the Barberry salve is very appropriate.

The first photo is just after rubbing the Barberry Salve over the eczema. Notice the yellow tint from the Berberine. The second photo is the same arm THE NEXT DAY. The camera caught the healing impressions under the skin. Their existence was less apparent to the human eye. By the way, there were also small patches of eczema on the face, as well. The Barberry Salve was rubbed on the patches. The face was totally clear the next day. I’m hoping to get a photo of the arm now that weeks have gone by.  I will add the photo here when I get it.

Can I say that the eczema is “cured”? No, not really. Research is ongoing, but is beginning to show that it is genetic and an immune response. Stress can cause it to reappear. Thus the Barberry Salve is not a cure, but more a treatment to keep it under control.

It is clear from these examples both in research and in everyday life, that the Berberine Plants are invaluable medicines. So do you now see why Barberry tincture is in my medicine cabinet, next to the Barberry Salve?