Barberry | Vitaklenz
Ingredients
Barberry is a thorned, deciduous shrub growing up to 3 metres (10 feet) in height common to most areas of Central and Southern Europe and the Northeastern regions of the United States.
It grows well in dry, sunny locations, flowers in mid-spring to early summer and produces a fruit (Fructis Berberidis) that can be harvested in early autumn or fall.
The leaves of the Barberry plant are spatula shaped with numerous spiny teeth arising from the axils of thorns on short bushy shoots.
Barberry has yellow, unpleasant smelling flowers that form hanging clusters, which form into long scarlet coloured berries with a sour taste (1) (2).
In folk medicine, European barberry root bark has been used for various conditions including liver dysfunction, gallbadder disease, diarrhea, indigestion and urinary tract diseases (3) (4) (5).
It has been applied in many cultures to treat malaria, and leishmaniasis (4) (5) (6). American Indians used Barberry to improve appetite, a function that was soon picked up by early American settlers.
It was also reportedly used for treating stomach problems such as ulcers and heartburn (3), and is listed in the American Medical Ethnobotany Reference Dictionary as being effective in reducing fever (7).
Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Herbs lists Barberry as being antihelicobacter, fungicidal and antiparasitic. It reports indications of Barberry against staphylococcus, streptococcus and yeast, and claims that it is superior in bactericidal properties to chloramphenicol, a commonly prescribed antibiotic drug (8).
REFERENCES
(1) Dorfler HP, Roselt G. The Dictionary of Healing Plants. New York, NY: Blandford Press. 1989.
(2) “Barberry, Berberis vulgaris.” Indian Spring Herbal Encyclopedia. (Accessed May 30, 2003). http://www.indianspringherbs.com/Barberry.htm
(3) Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler’s Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. Fourth Edition. New York: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.
(4) Jellin JM, Batz F, Hitchens K. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Third Edition. Stockton, California: Therapeutic Research Faculty, 2000.
(5) Gruenwald J, et.al. PDR for Herbal Medicines. First Edition. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
(6) Hostettmann, K, Marston A, Maillard M, Hamburger M. ed. Phytochemistry of Plants Used in Traditional Medicine. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995.
(7) Moerman, DE. American Medical Ethnobotany: A Reference Dictionary. New York, NY: Garland Publishing. 1977.
(8) Duke JA, et. al. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Second Edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 2002.]
(9) Lueng AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Foord, Drugs and Cosmetics. Second Edition. New York, NY: Wiley & Sons, 1996.
(10) Chevallier A. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Revised Edition. Sydney, Australia: Dorling Kindersley. 2001.
(11) Blumenthal M, et. al. ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin: American Botanical Council, 1998.
(12) “Barberry, Berberis vulgaris.” United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Medicinal Plant Database. Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. (Accessed May 30, 2003). http://www.pl.barc.usda.gov/plant_detail.cfm?plant_id=17
