Antifungal, Antileishmanial, and Cytotoxicity Activities of Various Extracts of Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae) and Its Active Principle Berberine

Abstract

In this study, in vitro antidermatophytic activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis, and Microsporum gypseum was studied by disk diffusion test and assessment of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using CLSI broth macrodilution method (M38-A2). Moreover, antileishmanial and cytotoxicity activity of B. vulgaris and berberine against promastigotes of Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica were evaluated by colorimetric MTT assay. The findings indicated that the various extracts of B. vulgaris particularly berberine showed high potential antidermatophytic against pathogenic dermatophytes tested with MIC values varying from 0.125 to >4 mg/mL. The results revealed that B. vulgaris extracts as well as berberine were effective in inhibiting L. major and L. tropica promastigotes growth in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration) values varying from 2.1 to 26.6 μg/mL. Moreover, it could be observed that berberine as compared with B. vulgaris exhibited more cytotoxicity against murine macrophages with CC50 (cytotoxicity concentration for 50% of cells) values varying from 27.3 to 362.6 μg/mL. Results of this investigation were the first step in the search for new antidermatophytic and antileishmanial drugs. However, further works are required to evaluate exact effect of these extracts in animal models as well as volunteer human subjects.

Berberis Vulgaris and Berberine: An Update Review

“…major and L . tropica promastigotes (Mahmoudvand et al ., ). Berberine exerts an apoptosis‐like death (Saha et al ., ) and modulates macrophage effector responses via the MAPK pathway (Saha et al ., ).…”

Antimalarial activity of traditional Kampo medicine Coptis Rhizome extract and its major active compounds

“…In addition, when we saw the cytotoxicity, berberine showed much lower CC 50 (CC 50 8.3 µM) than the previous one [46]. Other study also reported high levels of cytotoxicity of berberine using murine macrophage (CC 50 27.3 µg/mL) [48], or MCF-7 cell (CC 50 36..91 µg/mL) [49], and 8.75 µg/mL [50].…”

Scolicidal Effects of Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), Wild Rue Seed (Peganom harmala) and Shirazian Thyme (Zataria multiflora) Extracts on Protoscolices of Hydatid Cysts

“…The mortality rate of protoscolices of hydatid cysts after exposure to different concentrations (25,50, and 100 mg/mL) of P. harmala extract in different exposure times (5,10,15,20, and 40 minutes) are presented in Table 3. These findings revealed that the exposure of protoscolices to the P. harmala extract at the concentration of 25 mg/mL caused the mortality rate of protoscolices to 6%, 6%, 7%, 11.3%, and 14.33% after 5, 10, 15, 20, and 40 minutes, respectively.…”

“…However, one of the most important concerns in the hydatid cyst surgery is the recurrence of the disease caused by the incomplete removal of the germinal layer from the cyst cavity and spillage of the cyst contents that happens in 10% of the surgery cases. In such patients, it seems obligatory to use the most effective scolicidal agents (4,5). more efficacies to apply in surgery cases.…”

“…vulgaris, known with different names and called "Zereshk" in Persian, has biochemical and pharmacological activities related to its leaf, root, and fruit. Recently, scientific research results demonstrated that B. vulgaris and its related components possess antifungal, antiprotozoal, and antibacterial properties; also according to recent studies in Iran, anti-candida and anti-leishmania activities of the B. vulgaris extract are proved (5,12).…”