berberine

[ bur-buh-reen ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Pharmacology.

a white or yellow, crystalline, water-soluble alkaloid, C 20 H 19 NO 5 , derived from barberry or goldenseal, used as an antipyrotic, antibacterial, and stomachic.

berberine

/ ˈbɜːbəˌriːn /

a yellow bitter-tasting alkaloid obtained from barberry and other plants and used medicinally, esp in tonics. Formula: C 20 H 19 NO 5

1860–65; < New Latin Berber ( is ) ( berberidaceous ) + -ine ¹

C19: from German Berberin , from New Latin berberis barberry

It differs from paricine in its proportion of hydrogen, and from berberine in containing more carbon.

"I have never had any real trouble with them," she continued with a little gesture of pride towards the disappearing Berberine.

According to the most recent investigations, hydrastin contains berberine, and another alkaline called hydrastia or hydrastina.

But this similarity only holds in the north, and is now shown to be due to Berberine immigration into Kordofan.

The inner bark and roots yield a fine yellow dye (berberine).

Browse