Berberine – Source, Action, Use as a Dietary Supplement
Isabella Taylor
2026-03-23
6 min. read
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Berberine is a substance found in ordinary Polish barberry. Its extensive effects on the body allow for its multifaceted application in numerous conditions. Let us examine the properties of berberine and how it can be used as a dietary supplement.
Common barberry – botanical characteristics and raw material properties
The common barberry (*Berberis vulgaris* L.) is a deciduous shrub reaching heights of up to two meters, distinguished by its grayish-brown, longitudinally fissured bark and angular, thorn-bearing shoots. Its leaves are elliptical in shape, while the small, golden-yellow flowers are arranged in pendulous racemes, blooming from late spring to early summer—typically between May and June. The fruit is a vivid red, elongated drupe with a tart flavor profile. This plant is native to temperate regions, thriving in cultivated fields, forest edges, thickets, and sunlit clearings or slopes, though its populations have declined significantly in certain areas of Poland. For herbal and medicinal purposes, the bark of young branches, roots, leaves, and mature berries are harvested, all of which contain a diverse array of bioactive compounds: organic acids (including malic and citric acid), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), polyphenols (such as flavonoids and anthocyanins), pectins, tannins, mineral salts (potassium, calcium, magnesium), and isoquinoline alkaloids—with berberine as the predominant constituent, concentrated primarily in the bark and foliage [1].
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