Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Phytother Res. 2011 Jun;25(6):816-20. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3340. Epub 2010 Nov 17.
Berberis aetnensis C. Presl. is a bushy-spiny shrub common on Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy), containing various alkaloids with several pharmacological properties. This study assessed the effect of berberine and of the alkaloid extract of B. aetnensis roots on the glutamate-evoked tissue transglutaminase (TG2) up-regulation in rat astrocyte primary cultures, used as an in vitro model of excitotoxicity. The findings show that the alkaloid extract of B. aetnensis roots consists mainly of berberine. Furthermore, berberine and the alkaloid extract of B. aetnensis roots were able to restore the oxidative status modified by glutamate and the levels of TG2 to control values. It was found that berberine or the alkaloid extract of B. aetnensis roots are able to ameliorate the excessive production of glutamate, protein misfolding and aggregation, mitochondrial fragmentation, and neurodegeneration. Thus, it is suggested that berberine and the alkaloid extract of B. aetnensis roots, may represent a natural therapeutic strategy in the neuropathological conditions associated with excitotoxicity.
中国天山堇菜是堇菜科堇菜属多年生草本植物，中国国家二级重点保护野生植物，具有重要的科研和保护价值。然而，由于人类活动的影响，如过度采集和破坏栖息地，中国天山堇菜的种群数量正在减少。
为了保护中国天山堇菜，中国政府采取了一系列措施，包括建立自然保护区、加强监管和执法力度、开展保护宣传和教育等。同时，也鼓励公众参与保护行动，如支持自然保护组织、参与志愿者活动等。
保护中国天山堇菜对于维护生态平衡、保护生物多样性和促进可持续发展具有重要意义。我们应该共同努力，保护这一珍贵的野生植物资源，为后代留下一个美丽、健康的地球。
