STUDY OF THE ALKALOID COMPOSITION OF BARBERRY (BERBERIS VULGARIS L.)

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Berberidaceae and is widely recognized as a valuable source of biologically active isoquinoline alkaloids. The present study aimed to analyze the alkaloid composition of Berberis vulgaris based on published phytochemical and pharmacognostic data, with particular emphasis on the major alkaloids and their distribution in different plant organs. A literature-based analytical approach was applied using scientific publications indexed in PubMed and other international scientific databases. The analysis demonstrated that the alkaloid profile of B. vulgaris is characterized mainly by protoberberine and related isoquinoline alkaloids. Berberine was identified as the predominant and most extensively studied alkaloid, while berbamine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, magnoflorine, oxyberberine, isocorydine and other alkaloids have also been reported. The concentration and qualitative composition of alkaloids vary considerably depending on the plant organ, geographical origin, species or subspecies, and extraction conditions. Chromatographic methods, particularly high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), are considered suitable for the qualitative and quantitative determination of major alkaloids. The obtained literature data confirm that B. vulgaris represents a promising plant material for pharmacognostic and phytochemical investigations and may serve as a source of pharmacologically significant isoquinoline alkaloids.