Redox regulation in health and disease - Therapeutic potential of berberine

Oxidative stress is a cellular event that occurs at the molecular level and arises when the balance of intrinsic antioxidants and reactive molecular species tips towards the latter. Although oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases, designing therapeutic regimens to circumvent or manage these events remains elusive. In the following review, a description of cellular redox regulation under normal and pathophysiological states will be presented. Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid present in various plants such as goldenseal, goldenthread, Oregon grape and barberry. Although most of these are commercialized as natural health products, barberry is commonly used in Persian and Georgian cuisines. In this review, the therapeutic potential and efficacy of berberine for the management of oxidative stress and its associated diseases will be discussed. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.