Search

En regiones áridas y semiáridas de la Patagonia, el calafate y el chacay representan dos especies arbustivas de gran interés ecológico, medicinal, alimenticio y económico para las poblaciones locales. La información almacenada en los anillos de crecimiento de estas especies puede contribuir a conocer cómo crecen y orientarnos sobre sus respuestas ante cambios ambientales. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche Fil: Weigandt, Mariana Noemi. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Forestal. Grupo de Ecologia Forestal; Argentina Fil: Weigandt, Mariana Noemi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Suarez, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Diez, Juan Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Forestal. Grupo de Ecologia Forestal; Argentina FIl: Silva, Carmelina De Las Nieves. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Forestal. Grupo de Ecologia Forestal; Argentina Fil: Varela, Santiago Agustin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Forestal. Grupo de Ecologia Forestal; Argentina

Berberis holstii Engl. — Habit: Shrub. Habitat: LMWF, LMDF, BZ, UMF, HZ; 1 400–3 500 m. Distribution: II. Voucher: Chogoria Waterfall, Alt. 3 184 m, 25 Jan. 2015, SAJIT 002832 (HIB). References: Polhill (1966), Bussmann (1993, 1994, 2006), Bussmann & Beck (1995a, 1995 b, 1999), Lange et al. (1997)., Published as part of Zhou, Ya-Dong, Mwachala, Geoffrey, Hu, Guang-Wan & Wang, Qing-Feng, 2022, Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Mount Kenya, East Africa, pp. 1-108 in Phytotaxa 546 (1) on page 41, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.546.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6550464, {"references":["Polhill, R. M. (1966) Berberidaceae. In: Milne-Redhead, E. & Polhill RM. (Eds.) Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents, London, 4 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. (1993) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): A phytosociological approach with special reference to ecological problems. Ph. D. Thesis, Eberhard Karls Universitat Tubingen, Tubingen, 119 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. (1994) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): Vegetation, ecology, destruction and management of a tropical mountain forest ecosystem. Ph. D. dissertation, Universitat Bayreuth Startseite, Bayreuth, 252 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. (2006) Vegetation zonation and nomenclature of African Mountains: An overview. Lyonia 11 (1): 41 - 46.","Bussmann, R. W. & Beck, E. (1995 a) The forests of Mt. Kenya (Kenya), a phytosociological synopsis. Phytocoenologia 25 (4): 467 - 560. https: // doi. org / 10.1127 / phyto / 25 / 1995 / 467","Bussmann, R. W. & Beck, E. (1995 b) Regeneration and succession processes in the Cedar Forests (Juniperion procerae) of Mt. Kenya. Ecotropica 1: 79 - 84.","Verdcourt, B. (1999 a) Marattiaceae. In: Beentje, H. J. & Smith, S. A. L. (Eds.) Flora of Tropical East Africa. A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, 4 pp.","Lange, S., Bussmann, R. W. & Beck, E. (1997) Stand structure and regeneration of the subalpine Hagenia abyssinica forest of Mt. Kenya. Botanica Acta 110: 473 - 480. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1438 - 8677.1997. tb 00665. x"]}

A new species of Berberis L. from the region of Tucuman (Argentina), locally known as “sacha mikuna”, was described as Berberis burruyacuensis. The phylogenetic position was evaluated with ITS DNA sequences, particularly with respect to Berberis mikuna Job and other Berberis species of West-South America. The autonomy of the species, beyond the observed morphological and phenological traits, was confirmed through high maximum likelihood bootstrap values and bayesian support. Moreover, a 3 nucleotides insertion, together with two transversions and one transition, characterizes B. burruyacuensis ITS1 DNA region with respect to the rest of the species of the genus. B. burruyacuensis clustered in a very interesting position, that is as an outgroup to the rest of the South American species of Berberis. This position may suggest for this species the maintenance of relatively plesiomorphic characters with respect to the rest of the clade.

The seedless barberry, ‘Bidaneh,’ is one of the most important cultivated small fruits in Iran. This cultivar is propagated only by suckers, and so, the establishment of large-scale orchards is not...

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is the causal agent of wheat stripe rust that causes severe yield losses all over the world. As a macrocyclic heteroecious rust fungus, it is able to infect two unrelated host plants, wheat and barberry. Its urediniospores infect wheat and cause disease epidemic, while its basidiospores parasitize barberry to fulfill the sexual reproduction. This complex life cycle poses interesting questions on the different mechanisms of pathogenesis underlying the infection of the two different hosts. In the present study, transcriptomes of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici during the initial infection of wheat and barberry leaves were qualitatively and quantitatively compared. As a result, 142 wheat-specifically expressed genes (WEGs) were identified, which was far less than the 2,677 barberry-specifically expressed genes (BEGs). A larger proportion of evolutionarily conserved genes were observed in BEGs than that in WEGs, implying a longer history of the interaction between P. striiformis f. sp. tritici and barberry. Additionally, P. striiformis f. sp. tritici differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between wheat at 1 and 2 days postinoculation (dpi) and barberry at 3 and 4 dpi were identified by quantitative analysis. Gene Ontology analysis of these DEGs and expression patterns of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici pathogenic genes, including those encoding candidate secreted effectors, cell wall–degrading enzymes, and nutrient transporters, demonstrated that urediniospores and basidiospores exploited distinct strategies to overcome host defense systems. These results represent the first analysis of the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici transcriptome in barberry and contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary processes and strategies of different types of rust spores during the infection process on different hosts. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Insect pollinator communities associated with the three medicinal plant species of genus Berberis (B. chitria, B. lycium and B. asiatica) were studied in and around Nainital, Western Himalaya, Utta...

In this study, phenolic compounds in fresh fruits (Physalis alkegengi, Lycium barbarum, Prunus divaricata, Sambucus ebulus, Rubus sanctus, Berberis crataeginea) were determined by HPLC. The highest content of phenolic compounds was found in Berberis crataeginea, varied from 1.67 mg/kg (trans-cinnamic acid) to 228.32 mg/kg (rutin trihydrate), while Physalis alkegengi contains the minimum amount of phenolic compounds, ranged from 0.100 mg/kg (p-coumaric acid) to 23.78 mg/kg ((+)-catechin). 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, (+)-catechin, 1,2-dihydroxybenzene and gallic acid were the predominant phenolic compounds of Physalis alkegengi, Lycium barbarum, Prunus divaricata, Sambucus ebulus, Rubus sanctus,, respectively. All fruits contained minor amounts of isorhamnetin, kaempferol, naringenin, trans-cinnamicacid, resveratrol and p-coumaric acid.

Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Hypertension is an important and prevalent cardiovascular risk factor. The present study will be conducted to investigate the effect of barberry as a cardio-protective fruit on the blood pressure in patients with hypertension and other CVD risk factors. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of lipids and inflammatory biomarkers will be evaluated. Methods/design This is an 8-week, prospective, single-blinded, parallel assigned, randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) in which eligible men and women with hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors will be randomized to either placebo powder (PP; containing 9 g maltodextrin, 1 g citric acid, 1 g milled sucrose and edible red color (n = 37)) or barberry powder (BP; containing 10 g milled dried barberry and 1 g of milled sucrose (n = 37)) groups. At baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention, plasma lipids and inflammatory markers, 24-h urinary nitrite/nitrate and sodium excretion, and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) will be measured. Anthropometric measures and dietary assessment will be performed as well. Data analysis will be done using SPSS version-21 software. Discussion The interest in natural and functional food products has increased globally. This RCT will add to the growing literature for the potential antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects of barberry in humans. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT number) NCT04084847. Registered on 10 December 2019.

Three undescribed prenylated benzoic acid derivatives berberisides A-C (1-3) and a new clerodane glycoside berberiside D (4) were isolated from Berberis tsarica Aherndt. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS analysis. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of all isolates were studied against lung carcinoma A549, hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Among them, compounds 1 and 4 exhibited anti-proliferative effects against three tumor cell lines with IC50 ranging from 28.97 ± 2.18 to 35.83 ± 0.72 μM.

Berberine (Brb) is one of the well-known naturally occurring compounds exclusively found in Berberis vulgaris and other members of this family, such as Berberis aristata, Berberis aroatica, and Berberis aquifolium. This plant-derived natural compound has a variety of therapeutic impacts, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-tumor. Multiple studies have demonstrated that Brb has great anti-inflammatory activity and is capable of reducing the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, while it enhances the concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines, making it suitable for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease with chronic nature. Several factors are involved in the development of colitis and it appears that inflammation and oxidative stress are the most important ones. With respect to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Brb, its administration seems to be beneficial in the treatment of colitis. In the present review, the protective effects of Brb in colitis treatment and its impact on molecular pathways are discussed.

With the aim of introducing a new source of natural dye and developing a sustainable coloration process, the dyeing of wool with the leaves of Berberis thunbergii DC was optimized using response su...

The use of disease and pest resistant species in landscape design contributes to the effectiveness of green plantings. For this purpose, the pests Berberis L. and control measures in the dry subtropical climate of the Absheron Peninsula were studied. The main methods of disease control and prevention are considered. In conclusion, it is concluded that disease-resistant species should be chosen for landscaping; it is necessary to determine the optimal timing of plant growth and development; you should constantly monitor the general condition; dried branches and leaves must be periodically cleaned; autumn leaves should be collected and burned in winter as they contain pathogens. When a disease or pest is detected, chemicals should be used to prevent its development.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease associated with inflammation. In this trial, we aimed to investigate the Immunomodulatory effect of hydroalcoholic extract of black barberry on immune mediators in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 80 women with active RA were randomly assigned into two groups of two capsules, each containing 1,000 mg black barberry extract (n = 40) or maltodextrin placebo (n = 40) daily for 12 weeks. Demographic indices, physical activity, dietary intake, and disease activity were investigated using suitable questionnaires. Concentration of cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-17 in blood sample were measured using PBMC method. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 22). At baseline, there were no differences between the two groups in terms of demographic indices, physical activity, and dietary intake (p > .05). Black barberry supplementation reduced the severity of RA. It showed no significant effect on IL-2 and IL-4 cytokines (p > .05). IL-17 levels decreased significantly after the intervention within the black barberry group, while IL-10 had a significant increase in this group (p < .05). Barberry extract may reduce inflammatory and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines in RA, and stimulates the immune response by increasing Th2 production.

Cancer, even currently, is one of the main reasons for mortality and morbidity, worldwide. In recent years, a great deal of effort has been made to find efficient therapeutic strategies for cancer, however, particularly with regards to side effects and the possibility of complete remission. Berberine (BBR) is a nature-driven phytochemical component originated from different plant groups such as Berberis vulgaris, Berberis aquifolium, and Berberis aristata. BBR is a well-known nutraceutical because of its wide range of pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiparasitic, antidiarrheal, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, and fungicide. In addition, it exhibits inhibitory effects on multiple types of cancers. In this review, we have elaborated on the anticancer effects of BBR through the regulation of different molecular pathways such as: inducing apoptosis, autophagy, arresting cell cycle, and inhibiting metastasis and invasion.

There is an increasing trend to find novel sources of products with high antioxidant capacity and wild fruits are very good examples for these sources. In this study, fruits of Berberis vulgaris and Berberis crataegina, naturally grown in Bayburt province of Turkey, were tested for their physicochemical features, antioxidant capacities, phenolic compound profiles, and antimicrobial activities. The physicochemical analysis of the fruits revealed that the dry matter content, ash content, pH, and aw values were between 28.47% and 41.61%, 0.65% and 2.13%, 2.44 and 3.25, and 0.996 and 0.97, respectively. The total phenolic content of the fruits was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu methodology, and for the determination of the antioxidant capacity of the fruits, DPPH, ABTS, and β-carotene bleaching methods were performed and a high level of antioxidant activity was observed. HPLC analysis was applied to identify the phenolic content of the fruits, and gallic acid and chlorogenic acid were found to be the dominant phenolic compounds in Berberis fruits. The water extracts of the Berberis fruits were tested against important foodborne pathogenic bacteria as potential antimicrobials. The extracts inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Staphylococcus aureus at significant rates. This study revealed the potential antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics of wild-type B. vulgaris and B. crataegina that can be used for different future applications.

The ethanolic root extract of Berberis brevissima afforded a new bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, 13-nitrochondrofoline (2), and two known bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, chondrofoline (1) and curi...

Inspired by the superhydrophobic and anti-icing properties of Berberis thunbergii leaves for the first time, a surface with vertically aligned TiO2 nanopillars (VATiO2NPIs) has been developed, whic...

In Himachal Pradesh tribal migratory shepherds carry rich repository of traditional knowledge of wild medicinal plants and its uses, in this respect, an ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Tungasigarh and its surrounding area of Thunag Subdivision district Mandi Himachal Pradesh from 2018 to 2019. The required information on ethnomedicines used by tribal migratory shepherds was collected through personal field visits, interview method and by using a pretested questionnaire. Total 64 medicinal plant species were reported viz. Aconitum heterophyllum Allium ursinum, Allium humile, Trillium govaninum, Bergenia ciliata, Berberis lyceum, Cannabis sativa, Dioscrea deltoidea, Rhododendron arboratum, Pistacia integerrima, Zanthoxylem armatum was recorded. Total of 64 species were documented herb species were dominant (48) followed by shrub (9), tree (7). This study shows that shepherds in tribal areas are highly dependent on ethnobotanical medicines, which evolved over generations of experience, for the healthcare. This survey can help as baseline data on ethnomedicinal plants used in Thunag sub division of Mandi district and could be helpful in conservation of traditional knowledge as well as medicinal plants.

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb Coptis chinensis and other Berberis plants, has a wide range of pharmacological properties. Berberine can be used to treat many diseases, such as cancer and digestive, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Berberine has protective capacities in digestive diseases. It can inhibit toxins and bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori, protect the intestinal epithelial barrier from injury, and ameliorate liver injury. Berberine also inhibits the proliferation of various types of cancer cells and impedes invasion and metastasis. Recent evidence has confirmed that berberine improves the efficacy and safety of chemoradiotherapies. In addition, berberine regulates glycometabolism and lipid metabolism, improves energy expenditure, reduces body weight, and alleviates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Berberine also improves cardiovascular hemodynamics, suppresses ischemic arrhythmias, attenuates the development of atherosclerosis, and reduces hypertension. Berberine shows potent neuroprotective effects, including antioxidative, antiapoptotic, and anti-ischemic. Furthermore, berberine exerts protective effects against other diseases. The mechanisms of its functions have been extensively explored, but much remains to be clarified. This article summarizes the main pharmacological actions of berberine and its mechanisms in cancer and digestive, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases.

This study is based on 2-year experimental results aimed at evaluating the nutritional value and pomological characteristics of wild fruits and berries from the walnut-fruit forests of southern Kyrgyzstan including apple (Malus sieversii var. kirgizorum), pear (Pyrus korshinskyi Litv.), rosehip (Rosa canina), or barberry (Berberis oblonga). Wild pear, characterised by its high level of alimentary fibres (8.76 g/100 g), offers a promising potential for industrial pectin production. Barberry features higher radical scavenging activity (antioxidant activity) as compared to Iranian and Turkish ecotypes. Among the investigated fruits and berries, barberry and rosehip represent a good source of bioactive phytochemicals due to their high phenolic, anthocyanin, vitamin C and mineral contents. Regular consumption of such wild fruits can contribute between 26 and 100% to the recommended dietary allowance of selected mineral elements (Ca, Zn, Fe, Mn) helping to combat micro-nutrient deficiency in humans.

The green space of parks with its vegetation population of trees and shrubs plays a key role in air purification and the absorption of air pollutions, thereby contributing to the alleviation of environmental pollutions. The present factorial experiment was carried out in urban parks with 18 treatments. The leaf samples of 18 ornamental species were collected in two sites [(1) the margin and (2) the downtown] of Rasht city in north of Iran. Then, they were subjected to the measurement of leaf relative water content, total chlorophyll content, leaf extract pH, and ascorbic acid content to evaluate their air pollution tolerance index (APTI). The tolerance of the species was assessed by two methods: the comparison of their APTI with the average APTI of all species and the use of a constant APTI as a standard. The results showed that the species differed in their tolerance in different sites. Among the studied 18 species, Yucca filamentosa and Berberis thunbergii were identified as air pollution-tolerant species, so they are recommended for the use in parks. Yucca had an APTI of 78.24 and Berberis had an APTI of 67.56. The lowest APTI was obtained from Fraxinus excesio and Ligustrum texanum.

The article covers information on the following species of rare endemic and relict plants of the narrow local area that are included in the “Red Data” book of Georgia: Taxus baccata L., Pinus pityusa Stev.,, Acer ibericum M. Bieb.,, Betula litwinowii Doluch., Berberis iberica Stev. & Fisch.ex DC., Ostrya carpinifolia Scop., Diospyros lotus L., Quercus dshorochensis K.Koch., Q. Hartwissiana Steven., Q.imericna Steven ex Woronow, Q.macranthera Fisch. & C.A.Mey.ex Hohen, Pterocarya pterocarpa (Michx) kunth., Punica granatum L., Amygdalus Georgia Desf., Pyrus sachokiana Kuth., Populus euphratica Oliv, Ulmus suberosa Michx., Zelkova carpinifolia (Pall.,) K.Koch. Their biological peculiarities, duration of flowering and fruit-bearing, the similarity of seeds and their quality have been studied under the conditions of arid zone. The paper also gives a description of cambiogenetic growth nature that is a secondary meristem of 1-3-year-old spurs of these plants from the beginning till the end of their vegetation.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different rooting media (peat, perlite, peat-perlite (1: 1), and cocopeat) and IBA doses (control, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 ppm) on rooting of damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.), Thunberg barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) cuttings. The cuttings were exposed to different indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) solutions in the greenhouse and planted in four different medium. Rooting percentage, root lengths, and the number of the roots were determined for the cuttings which were left to rooting for approximately 80 days. As a result of the study, the effect of rooting medium and different doses of IBA on rooting in damask rose, thunberg barberry, rosemary, and lavender cuttings were found to be statistically significant. The highest rooting percentages for the damask rose, thunberg barberry, rosemary, and lavender were found to be 95.00%, 81.67%, 88.33%, and 82.50%; number of roots were 19.28, 13.44, 26.12 and 17.38 per plant; and root lengths were 18.89, 14.32, 25.58 and 17.26 cm, respectively, in perlite rooting medium and 4000-5000 ppm IBA solution. The best results for rooting medium were obtained from perlite and the best results for the IBA dose were obtained from 4000 ppm application that promotes adventitious rooting.

This paper presents the results of the field study on species composition, geographical distribution, phytocoenotic diversity and resources of crop wild relatives (CWR) in Kazakhstan's ranges of the Tien Shan Mountains. Taxa of not only cultivated genera of crops are taken into account, but also a wider range of species of high socio-economic importance, including medicinal, fodder, essential oil and other species. List of CWR includes 289 species belonging to 39 families and 145 genera. Among them, 9 species listed in the Red Data book of Kazakhstan: Pistacia vera, Rheum wittrockii, Armeniaca vulgaris, Malus sieversii, Allium pskemense, Allochrusa gypsophilloides, Sorbus sibirica, Vitis vinifera and Artemisia cina. The highest plant diversity is recorded in intermountain plains and river valleys where meadow vegetation forms a high abundance of forage and resource plants. The diversity of wild fruit plants is concentrated in gallery forests. CWR of cereals are confined to dry steppe slopes in low piedmont belt. The populations of almond, pistachio, plum and cherry were recorded at dry slopes of low mountain belt. The estimation of the raw material base for 13 resource plants is given. Only Rumex tianschanicus, Berberis sphaerocarpa are recommended for industrial harvesting; for local pharmacy chain – Mentha longifolia, Origanum vulgare, O. vulgare subsp. gracile, Ziziphora clinopodioides, Hypericum scabrum, Hypericum perforatum, and five Rosa species. Keywords: Crop wild relatives, Flora, Vegetation, Resources, Mountains, Kazakhstani Tien Shan

Medicinal plants have great importance to the consumer health, as beside beneficial compounds, plants can accumulate essential and nonessential metals from soil and surrounding environments, leading to consumer health risks. Assuming this, the present study is aimed at evaluating the elemental composition and daily dose standardization based on essential and nonessential trace element presence in of bark, leaves, and roots of

The resurgence of scrutiny in plant-based medicine is mainly due to the current widespread belief that "green medicine" is safe and more dependable than the expensive synthetic drugs. The current study was focused to evaluate the anti-myocardial ischemic potential of Berberis orthobotrys Bien ex Aitch against chemically induced myocardial ischemia in animal models. Myocardial ischemia was instigated in Sprague Dawley rats of either sex (250-450g) by administration of Isoproterenol (ISO) and doxorubicin (DOX) at doses of 25mg/kg b.w and 15mg/kg b.w. respectively. The protective effect of the plant extract was explored by pretreating a group of animals with aqueous methanolic extract of Berberis orthobotrys roots at a dose of 50mg/kg b.w. (orally) for 10 days in ISO-ischemic model while for doxorubicin ischemic model; the study was conducted for 14 days. The findings of the study revealed that serum levels of cardiac marker enzymes were significantly increased (p0.0001) followed by the administration of Isoproterenol and doxorubicin whereas the pretreatment with aqueous methanolic plant extract had significantly (p0.0001) prevented the rise in the same, as compared to both intoxicated groups. The statistical analysis of the study led to the conclusion that Berberis orthobotrys possesses cardio protective potential against chemically induced myocardial ischemia.

Many

N acetyl cysteine and Berberis lycium Royale root bark have been used to treat kidney diseases. Objectives of the study were to evaluate the individual and combined effect of N acetyl cysteine and aqueous extract of Berberis lycium Royale root bark in Gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats. This randomized control trial conducted at Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with NIH, Islamabad in 1 month from Sep to Oct 2020.Fifty Wister albino rats of 10-12 weeks old were divided into five groups with 10 in each group. Group 1 was normal control given food and water only and remaining 40 were in treatment groups. Nephrotoxicity was induced by intraperitoneal injection of Gentamicin (80mg/kg) for 6 days in group 2, 3, 4 and 5. After induction of nephrotoxicity, Group 3 was administered N acetyl cysteine 140mg/kg per oral, Group 4 was given aqueous extract of Berberis lycium Royale root bark 400 mg/kg per oral and Group 5 was given both N acetyl cysteine 140mg/kg per oral and aqueous extract of Berberis lycium Royale root bark 400 mg/kg per oral for 21 days. Serum uric acid was measured in all groups after 30 days to observe the reversal of renal injury.The results of this study indicate that Group 3, Group 4 and Group 5 showed a decrease in serum uric acid level as compared to Disease Control Group (Group 2). However, Group 5 significantly reduced uric acid (p-0.05).Combined effect of N acetyl cysteine and aqueous extract of Berberis lycium Royale root bark showed improvement in uric acid level in Gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

An eco-friendly biogenic method for the synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) using phytochemically rich

This study aimed to investigate the potential use of anthocyanin of Berberis crataegina DC. as a natural food coloring agent in the food industry. For this aim, the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method was performed to extract anthocyanin of Berberis crataegina DC. The effect of ultrasound power (X1: 20-100%), extraction temperature (X2: 20-60 °C), and time (X3: 10-20 min) on TPC and TAC of Berberis crataegina DC. extracts were examined and optimized by applying the Box–Behnken experimental design (BBD) with the response surface methodology (RSM). The influence of three independent variables and their combinatorial interactions on TPC and TAC were investigated by the quadratic models (R2: 0.9638&0.9892 and adj R2:0.9171&0.9654, respectively). The optimum conditions were determined as the amplitude level of 98%, the temperature of 57.41 °C, and extraction time of 13.86 min. The main anthocyanin compounds were identified, namely, Delphinidin-3-O-galactoside, Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, Petunidin-3-O-glucoside, Pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside, and Peonidin-3-O-glucoside. The anthocyanin degradation showed first-order kinetic, degradation rate constant (k), the half-life values (t1/2), and loss (%) were significantly affected by different temperatures (P < 0.05). Higher degradation (k) in anthocyanin content was observed at 90 °C. This study suggested that UAE is an efficient method for the extraction of TPC and TAC from Berberis crataegina DC.

Berberis weiningensis is a frequently-used traditional Chinese medicinal herb that included various active alkaloids. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of B. weininge...

Fungi have evolved an array of spore discharge and dispersal processes. Here, we developed a theoretical model that explains the ejection mechanics of aeciospore liberation in the stem rust pathogen Puccinia graminis. Aeciospores are released from cluster cups formed on its Berberis host, spreading early-season inoculum into neighboring small-grain crops. Our model illustrates that during dew or rainfall, changes in aeciospore turgidity exerts substantial force on neighboring aeciospores in cluster cups whilst gaps between spores become perfused with water. This perfusion coats aeciospores with a lubrication film that facilitates expulsion, with single aeciospores reaching speeds of 0.053 to 0.754 m·s−1. We also used aeciospore source strength estimates to simulate the aeciospore dispersal gradient and incorporated this into a publicly available web interface. This aids farmers and legislators to assess current local risk of dispersal and facilitates development of sophisticated epidemiological models to potentially curtail stem rust epidemics originating on Berberis., Bueno-Sancho et al. use high-speed videography and mathematical modelling to examine aeciospore dispersal mechanics of the stem rust fungus Puccinia graminis. Their model shows that aeciospore ejection is driven by peridium rupture and moisture ingress, with dispersal projections encapsulated in a web interface to help assess risk of disease spread to nearby cereal crops.

Palmatine (PLT) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid that belongs to the class of protoberberines and exhibits a wide spectrum of pharmacological and biological properties, including anti-cancer activity. The aim of our study was to isolate PLT from the roots of Berberis cretica and investigate its cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects in vitro alone and in combination with doxorubicine (DOX) using human ER+/HER2− breast cancer cell lines. The alkaloid was purified by column chromatography filled with silica gel NP and Sephadex LH-20 resin developed in the mixture of methanol: water (50:50 v/v) that provided high-purity alkaloid for bioactivity studies. The purity of the alkaloid was confirmed by high resolution mass measurement and MS/MS fragmentation analysis in the HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-based analysis. It was found that PLT treatment inhibited the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner as demonstrated by MTT and BrdU assays. PLT showed a quite similar growth inhibition on breast cancer cells with IC50 values ranging from 5.126 to 5.805 µg/mL. In contrast, growth of normal human breast epithelial cells was not affected by PLT. The growth inhibitory activity of PLT was related to the induction of apoptosis, as determined by Annexin V/PI staining. Moreover, PLT sensitized breast cancer cells to DOX. Isobolographic analysis revealed synergistic and additive interactions between studied agents. Our studies suggest that PLT can be a potential candidate agent for preventing and treating breast cancer.

This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity and the relationship between 2 populations including a total 10 genotypes of Berberis crataegina collected from the province of Kayseri in Turkey and 22 genotypes of Berberis sphaerocarpa Kar. & Kit collected from Kyrgyzstan using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Markers. Twenty ISSR primers used to characterize 32 barberry genotypes and revealed 150 bands of which 111 bands were polymorphic. Band size and the number of bands ranged from 190 to 1400 bp and 5 to 14. The average of alleles produced from 20 (ISSR) primers was 7.5. Three primers (TAA)8, (CA)6AC, and (CAC)6 did not show any results whereas, 2 primers (AG)7YC and (TCC)5RY were found to be monomorphic. On the other hand, the rest of primers were polymorphic with polymorphism percentages varied from 28.6 to 100%, with an average of 74%. This study provide that using (ISSR) molecular markers is a reliable method for separating types within a specific genus, and a valuable evidence for decision making in choosing markers for future works, characterization of germplasm, and for contributing of developing Barberry improvement programs.