Berberine: A Medicinal Compound for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections

Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid mainly extracted from Rhizoma Coptidis, which is an efficient therapeutic agent to combat bacterial infections. However, bioactive assay manifested that berberine exhibited poor effect on antibacterial properties. In the present paper, we reviewed the multiple activities of berberine, including inhibition of biofilm formation, anti-inflammation effect, and clinical trials, which indicate the possible mechanism of berberine in the treatment of bacterial infections.