Berberis vulgaris

ulgaris in Kidney disorders:

disorders

 Kidney disorders:
 Kidney disease, or renal disease, also known as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a
kidney. Nephritis is an inflammatory kidney disease and has
several types according to the location of the
inflammation. Nephrosis is non
non-inflammatory
kidney disease. Nephritis and nephrosis can
give rise to nephritic syndrome and nephrotic
syndrome respectively.

 Kidney disease usually causes a loss of kidney

function to some degree and can result in
kidney failure,, the complete loss of kidney
function. Kidney failure is known as the end-stage
end of
kidney disease, where dialysis or a kidney transplant is the only treatment option.

 Chronic kidney disease causes the gradual loss of kidney function over time. Acute kidney
disease is now termed acute kidney injury and is marked by the sudden reduction in kidney
function over seven days.

A. Causes of Kidney disorders:

disorders
Following are the main causes of Kidney disorders:
 High blood pressure
 Diabetes
 Diet
 IgA nephropathy
 Iodinated contrast media
 Lithium
 Lupus
 Xanthine oxidase deficiency
 Polycystic disease of the kidneys
 Toxicity of chemotherapy agents
 B. Development of Kidney disorders:
Kidney disease is a non-communicable
communicable disease. It can have serious consequences if it cannot
be controlled effectively. Generally, the progression of kidney disease is from mild to
serious. Some kidney
ey diseases can cause kidney failure.

C. Diagnosis of Kidney disorders:

The standard diagnostic workup of suspected kidney disease includes a medical history,
physical examination, a urine test, and an ultrasound of the kidneys (renal ultrasonography).
An ultrasound is essential in the diagnosis and management of kidney disease.

 Berberis vulgaris:
 Family:
 Berberidaceae

 Common names:
 Barberry, Pipperdge bush, Kashmal

 Introduction and History:

 It is a well known left sided remedy. It occupies
a very important place in our materia medica.
The main influence of this remedy is found on the kidneys. It has been used with
miraculous success in renal calculi. It is a naturalized plant in the eastern United
States. The East Indian variety of Berberis was used
used in medicine by Galen, Pliny and
Dioscorides.

 Habit and Habitat:

 The plant grows in Europe and north Asia. It is indigenous to Great
Britain. It is a deciduous shrub. The plant is 3 to 8 feet high. Branches
are well supplied with hanging clusters. Fruit is small, oblong, scarlet
coloured with a pleasant acrid taste.

 Preparation and Parts Used:

 Mother tincture is prepared from the bark of the root
  Important Constituents:
 The phytochemical investigations of various species of Berberis have led to the
isolation of alkaloids, tannins, phenolic compounds, sterols
and triterpenes .
 Berberine, the main compound of berberis, is an isoquinoline
alkaloid and produced by many plan plants, such as Coptis
japonica Makino, Coptis
Coptis, Berberis petiolaris and B. Vulgaris.
 Berberine have a long history in traditional remedy as anti-
anti
bacterial, anti-pyretic,
pyretic, anti-pruritic,
anti anti-arrhythmic, anti-
inflammatory, laxative, anti
anti-cholinergic, anti-leishmaniasis,
anti-malaria
malaria and sedative agents. Berberine

 Pharmacological effects:
 Different pharmacological effects of B. vulgaris and berberine including
anticonvulsant antidepressant, anti-Alzheimer,
anti anti-arrhythmic,
arrhythmic, anti-inflammatory,
anti
antiviral, antibacterial, antineoplastic and anti-diabetic
anti diabetic properties have been
reported in both in vitro and in vivo studies.
 Additionally, B. vulgaris and berberine can be effective against natural and chemical
toxins. Interestingly, the protective effects of these compounds in different organs
such as brain, liver, kidney, heart and lungs have been
bee found.
 Berberine reduces fibronectin and collagen accumulation in rat kidney cells exposed
to high blood sugar.
 Berberine works by inhibiting NF-κB
NF κB and by inhibiting aldose reductase and
oxidative stress in kidney cells

 Role of Berberis in Kidney disorders:

 Berberis vulgaris is also used for curing urinary problems, vesica diseases, catarrh and
kidney problems. It also removes gall stones.

 First of all, Berberis generates pain in the kidney area which means that this medicine is
working properly. Sometimes, this medicine creates burning sensation in the kidney and
blood with urination and then it cures diseases, So the patient should not scare by changing
his urine colour or bleeding with urination after taking this medicine because it removes
out body waste with urine.

 Berberis should be used in case of kidney pains ,burning sensation of the ureter, pain and
burning sensation during and after urine and pain like pricking needle from left kidney to
the ureter and vesica.
 Other uses of Berberis vulgaris:
Berberis vulgaris is also helpful in other health conditions along with its kidney functions.
Some of its other uses are as follows:

A. Berberine improves learning and memory:

m
 Berberine may improve memory by:by
1. Stimulating
timulating cholinergic enzyme activity and reducing inflammation
2. Preventing the destruction of neurons in patients with reduced blood flow (low
oxygen) to the brain.

 Berberine is neuroprotective in strokes and may be useful for neuroinflammation

neuroinflammation-
associated disorders.

B. Berberine Supports Gut Health:

 Berberine is anti-diarrheal,
diarrheal, a property which may be
mediated by its ability to del
delay the small intestinal transit.
 Berberine reduces “leaky gut” (intestinal epithelial tight
junction damage) in a mouse model of endotoxemia.
endotoxemia
 It protects the mucosal lining of the gut from damage due to
heavy drinking.

C. Berberine is an Anti-Depressant
Depressant:
 Berberine acts as an antidepressant by increasing levels of key neurotransmitters in the
hippocampus and frontal cortex of the brain
 Specifically, Berberine inhibits monoamine oxidase A (MAO
(MAO-A),A), an enzyme that breaks
down Serotonin .

D. Berberine Treats Inflammation

Inflammation:
 Berberine shows anti-inflammatory
inflammatory activity both in the lab and in living organisms.

E. Berberine Improves Blood Sugar Balance:

Balance
 Berberine is an ideal treatment for type 2 diabetes,
diabetes, working differently from drugs like
Metformin.
 It works through increasing insulin, regenerating the pancreatic cells, promoting
antioxidant enzyme activity, an
and decreasing damage to cells.
 Berberine reduces fasting blo
blood glucose, triglycerides, LDL,, and total cholesterol while
w
improving glucose tolerance.
F. Berberine Promotes Weight Loss
 Berberine inhibits the production of body fat through up-regulation of C/EBP inhibitors,
CHOP and DEC2.
 In a human study of berberine on weight loss, 500 mg berberine was given to obese
patients three times daily for twelve weeks. Results included a weight loss average of 5
pounds, as well as a significant improvement of triglyceride and cholesterol status.
 Another 3-month study of obese patients with metabolic syndrome used just 300 mg of
berberine three times a day. At the end of the trial, the patients’ body mass index (BMI)
went down from 31.5 to 27.4 and they lost fat around the middle

G. Berberine Lowers Blood Pressure

 Berberine lowers blood pressure and dilates blood vessels, showing it to be a good
candidate as a treatment for high blood pressure.
 Berberine blocks the human platelet alpha-adrenoceptors causing blood vessels to
dilate, relaxing muscles, healing ulcers (through antisecretory action in the stomach),
causing a sedative effect
 It inhibits ACE and directly releases NO/cGMP in blood vessels, causing a blood pressure-
lowering effect
 Berberine derivatives inhibit acetylcholinesterase, resulting in increased levels and
prolonged action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

H. Berberine Prevents Heart Disease

 Berberine shows potential for multiple aspects of cardiovascular health, including
arrhythmias, enlarged hearts, heart attacks, heart rate, and especially atherosclerosis
by:
 Reducing the formation of plaque in the arteries by reducing foam cell formation and
preventing the plaque from breaking off.
 Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation of the blood vessels.
 Berberine also demonstrates a protective effect on heart muscle cells injured by the
return of blood flow after blood flow restriction –as after a stroke
 Berberine increased the quality of life and decreased death rates for patients with
congestive heart failure.