Berberine: a potential multipotent natural product to combat Alzheimer's disease.

With the accelerated aging of human society Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become one of the most threatening diseases in the elderly. However, there is no efficient therapeutic agent to combat AD. Berberine is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid that possesses a wide range of pharmacological effects. In the present paper, we review the multiple activities of berberine, including antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory, monoamine oxidase inhibitory, amyloid-b peptide level-reducing and cholesterol-lowering activities, which suggest that berberine may act as a promising multipotent agent to combat AD.