Effect of Berberis vulgaris fruit powder on visfatin and metabolic profiles in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial disorder that is strongly associated with car-diovascular complications. Berberis vulgaris (B. vulgaris) is a traditional plant with anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic properties. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of B. vulgaris on visfatin and meta-bolic profiles in T2DM. Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 40 patients with T2DM were randomized into two equal groups: i) 1000 mg B. vulgaris was administered at a dosage of 2 x 500 mg capsules daily (BFP group), ii) placebo was administered as 500 mg capsules containing lactose twice a day (PL group) for 8 weeks. Anthropometric pa-rameters, biochemical tests and serum visfatin levels were measured prior to and following the intervention. Results: The changes in the Total Cholesterol (P = 0.006), Triglyceride (TG) (P = 0.001), High-Density Lipo-protein-Cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 0.001), Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 0.004), LDL-C/ HDL-C (P = 0.001), TG/HDL-C (P = 0.001) and, Total Cholesterol/HDL-C (P = 0.009) between the two groups was significant at the end of trial. Moreover, visfatin was significantly changed following 8-weeks in the group receiving B.Vulgaris in comparison with the PL group (P = 0.01), based on ANCOVA. Conclusions: B. vulgaris supplementation appears to have favorable effects on lipid profile and serum visfatin in T2DM.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Berberis vulgaris (B. vulgaris) supplementation on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The results showed that B. vulgaris supplementation had positive effects on lipid profile and serum visfatin in T2DM patients. These findings suggest that B. vulgaris may be beneficial for T2DM management.