An insight into the potential of berberine in animal nutrition: Current knowledge and future perspectives

Abstract

In animal nutrition, the interest for novel feed additives has expanded with elevating industry standards and consumer awareness besides the demand for healthy animalderived food products. Consumer and animal health are leading concerns dictating the importance of novel animal feed additives. Berberine (BBR) is a natural pentacyclic isoquinoline alkaloid that has exhibited diverse pharmacological properties, including metabolism-regulating, hepatoprotective, and inflammatory alleviative in addition to its antioxidant activity. Despite detailed information on cellular mechanisms associated with BBR therapeutics, and strong clinical evidence, only a few studies have focused on BBR applied to animal nutrition. However, great pieces of evidence have shown that dietary BBR supplementation could result in improved growth performance, enhanced oxidoinflammatory markers, and mitigated metabolic dysfunctions in both monogastric and ruminant animals. The data discussed in the present review may set the basis for further research on BBR in animal diets for developing novel strategies aiming to improve animal health as well as products with beneficial properties for humans.

Therapeutic Effect of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd) Extracts on Letrozole-Induced Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and its Complications in Murine Model

“… 49 Recently published study on berberine alkaloid which is also an important chemical constituent discovered in the TC plant stem has been shown to significantly enhance glucose tolerance. 50 Treatment with berberine significantly reduces fasting plasma glucose, improves insulin sensitivity and decreases LDL-C in type 2 diabetic rats, demonstrating its potent antihyperglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects. The expression of GLUT4 in tissues was dramatically increased after being exposed to berberine.…”

Inclusion of Berberis vulgaris leaf in the diet of fattening lambs: effects on performance, nutrient intake, rumen fermentation, and carcass traits

“…In this sense, in this study, AH was partially replaced by BVL, which is normally less expensive than AH. It is well documented that BVL has a great potential as animal feed ( Ghavipanje et al, 2016 ; Moghaddam et al, 2021 ; Ghavipanje et al, 2022 ), but to the best of our knowledge, no investigation has been addressed BVL in fattening lambs. In this study, we found that BLV inclusion (up to 7.5% DM of diet) in fattening lambs improved nutrients digestibility and reduced production costs without severe deleterious effects on performance.…”

“…Iran with over 11,000 hectares of land under cultivation that produce more than 9,200 tons of dried fruit per year is the world’s largest producer of B. vulgaris fruits ( Rahimi-Madiseh et al, 2017 ). Berberis vulgaris has an ethnopharmacologically rich history for the treatment of many diseases ( Imenshahidi and Hosseinzadeh, 2016 ; Salem et al, 2021 ; Ghavipanje et al, 2022 ). In confirmation of historical pieces of evidence, various in vivo and in vitro studies have shown the anticancer, antimicrobial, antipyretic, antidepressant, antidiabetic, and antioxidant potentials of B. vulgaris ( Salem et al, 2021 ; Ghavipanje et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Berberis vulgaris has an ethnopharmacologically rich history for the treatment of many diseases ( Imenshahidi and Hosseinzadeh, 2016 ; Salem et al, 2021 ; Ghavipanje et al, 2022 ). In confirmation of historical pieces of evidence, various in vivo and in vitro studies have shown the anticancer, antimicrobial, antipyretic, antidepressant, antidiabetic, and antioxidant potentials of B. vulgaris ( Salem et al, 2021 ; Ghavipanje et al, 2022 ). Phytochemical analyses have revealed its bioactive constituents with preferably significant amounts of isoquinoline alkaloids (berberine, palmatine, and jatrorrhizine) and bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids ( Imenshahidi and Hosseinzadeh, 2016 ; Rahimi-Madiseh et al, 2017 ; Salem et al, 2021 ).…”

“… Moghaddam et al (2021) reported that replacing 15% of alfalfa hay ( AH ) with barberry pomace (another by-product of B. vulgaris ) had no adverse effect on DMI, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of finishing lambs. Moreover, a recent paper by Ghavipanje et al (2022) reviewed the favorable impact of berberine, the main bioactive compound of BVL, on metabolic impairment of dairy animals, lipid metabolism disorders, oxidative and inflammatory stress, as well as its role as growth and health stimulant.…”