Berberine: A naturally occurring phototoxic alkaloid.

The isoquinoline alkaloid berberine, present in nine different plant families was found to be phototoxic to mosquito larvae. In the presence of near UV the LC50 for acute 24-hr toxicity was 8.8 ppm compared to 250 ppm for dark controls. Mosquito larvae that were treated with 10 ppm berberine plus near UV for 24 hr and then transferred to berberine-free water showed decreased larval survival and resulted in a smaller cumulative number of pupae and adults as compared to controls, during a subsequent 4-week development period. Berberine was found to be a singlet O2 generator in experiments with the chemical trap 2,5-dimethyl furan. A slight increase in chromosome aberrations in Chinese hamster cells was also observed with berberine plus near UV treatment. The significance of the phototoxicity of berberine is discussed in relation to plant-insect relations.