A Review on Folklore Uses, Phytoconstituents and Pharmacological Activities of the Genus Berberis

Genus berberis, an evergreen shrub of about 500 plant species found in subtropical and temperate regions but only some of them are investigated and evaluated for their phytochemistry and bioactivity. These plants are spread worldwide and help in the nourishment of humans and animals. Almost all parts of the plant are investigated for pharmacological and phytochemical purposes, including, roots, fruits, stems, buds, seeds, branches, flowers, leaves, and whole plant. Rasaut, an extract of either the stem or root of Berberis aristata is mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic literature of India for treating indolent ulcers and eye disorders, and B. vulgaris is still used to treat malaria in North America. They have many medicinal properties and compounds that are bioactive like berberine. Berberine possesses anticancer, antimicrobial, and other activities. The plants contain a number of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenoids, and other categories of chemical constituents. The alkaloidal compounds are isolated and evaluated for various activities and are found to be active. The researchers are continuously working to get novel exploration regarding the genus Berberis. Here in the review, traditional and folkloric uses of the genus were also described. Apart from this, they possess numerous activities like anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiulcer, antiviral and, wound healing and many more. These activities were authenticated by in-vitro and in-vivo methods. The aim of this review is to update and systematically arrange information in one platform. In this review, we extracted the current information from Pubmed, Googlescolar, Scifinder and many more databases.