Frontiers in Pharmacology (May 2022)

Berberine: A Promising Treatment for Neurodegenerative Diseases

  • Ziqian Cheng,
  • Chenglan Kang,
  • Songtian Che,
  • Jingyun Su,
  • Qihan Sun,
  • Tongtong Ge,
  • Yi Guo,
  • Jiayin Lv,
  • Zhihui Sun,
  • Wei Yang,
  • Bingjin Li,
  • Xin Li,
  • Ranji Cui

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.845591
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Berberine, as a natural alkaloid compound, is characterized by a diversity of pharmacological effects. In recent years, many researches focused on the role of berberine in central nervous system diseases. Among them, the effect of berberine on neurodegenerative diseases has received widespread attention, for example Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and so on. Recent evidence suggests that berberine inhibits the production of neuroinflammation, oxidative, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. These effects can further reduce neuron damage and apoptosis. Although the current research has made some progress, its specific mechanism still needs to be further explored. This review provides an overview of berberine in neurodegenerative diseases and its related mechanisms, and also provides new ideas for future research on berberine.

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