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Network Pharmacology, 2027, 11(3-4): 9-14
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Article

Berberine in China: History, pharmacological research, clinical trials, industrialization application and market consumption

WenJun Zhang
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

Received 20 March 2026;Accepted 26 March 2026;Published online 30 March 2026;Published 1 December 2027
IAEES

Abstract
Berberine (the hydrochloride salt is commonly called Huangliansu in clinical practice) is a bioactive natural isoquinoline alkaloid that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. This comprehensive review systematically synthesizes up-to-date preclinical and clinical evidence to summarize berberine's pharmacological properties, diverse therapeutic potentials, and existing bottlenecks for clinical translation. Extensive studies confirm that berberine exerts multiple biological activities including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, lipid-regulating, wound healing-promoting, and cardiovascular protective effects, with promising clinical value for managing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, vascular diseases, chronic wounds, and gastrointestinal infections. However, its large-scale clinical application is still limited by extremely low oral bioavailability, significant quality variation among commercial preparations, and a lack of large-scale standardized clinical trials. Future research directions include optimizing novel drug delivery systems to improve bioavailability and verifying long-term efficacy and safety through high-quality clinical trials. This review provides a systematic reference for the further development and clinical utilization of berberine as a low-cost, safe natural therapeutic agent.

Keywords berberine;berberine hydrochloride;matural isoquinoline alkaloid;pharmacological activity;therapeutic potential.


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