Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF BERBERIS ARISTATA

Areeba Insaf*, Shikha Sharma and Mohd Faisal Khan

Abstract

For so many years Plants have been the basis of many traditional medicines throughout the world and continue to provide new remedies to mankind. Berberis aristata is an erect spiny shrub native to northern Himalaya region contains protoberberine and bis-isoquinoline type of alkaloids, mainly yellow colored alkaloids Berberine, oxyberberine, berbamine, aromoline, a protoberberine alkaloid karachine, palatine, oxyacanthine and taxi amine and tannins, sugar and starch. It is one among the 73 plants which are used in reducing toxicity and unnecessary fats, anti-haemorrhoidal, as lactode purant, a wound healer, promotes sweating, rejuvenative, anti‐pruritic and skin diseases traditionally in Nepal and other surrounding villages. Rasaut a preparation of Berberis aristata is used in the treatment of aphthous sores abrasions and ulcerations of the skin. The hydro-alcoholic extract showed wide antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria also had antifungal activity against the fungal species tested, except Candida Kruse. The plant also showed pharmacological activities as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic activities, hypoglycaemic, antibacterial, antifungal, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anticancer, antidepressant activity and immunomodulatory effect. The plant has effective pharmacological action and shows promising future for further researches also.

Keywords: Berberis aristata, Alkaloids, Extracts, Anti-cancer, Hepato-protective.