Zhaleh Nastaran, Sharifi Mohsen, Samari Elaheh, Halvagar Mohammad Reza, Zeidi Seyedeh Hanieh
Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
PLoS One. 2025 May 19;20(5):e0321255. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0321255. eCollection 2025.
Berberis integerrima Bunge is a valuable plant of the Berberidaceae family used in medicine and industry. The properties of the different parts of this plant vary and depend on the distribution of its secondary metabolites, including alkaloids and phenolic compounds. Here, we aimed to evaluate and compare phenolics and alkaloids of the different organs and tissues of B. integerrima. Our results showed that the highest content of phenolic compounds was found in the fruit and leaf, while the total alkaloid level was higher in the root. In the fruit, leaf and stem, the main phenolic acids were caffeic acid, cinnamic acid and gallic acid, respectively. In contrast, the highest levels of ferulic acid, catechin, resveratrol and luteolin were detected in the root. The highest content of berberine, one of the most important alkaloids of barberry, was found in the root, especially in the bark tissue. Further experiments showed that phenolic compounds and berberine, in the aerial organs and root of B. integerrima, respectively, are likely responsible for the antioxidant capacity of these organs. Given the high berberine content of the root (6.26 mg g-1 Dry Weight), and after trying to find a simple yet effective method to extract berberine, it was found that 80% ethanol containing 2% acetic acid at 25 °C with 72 h of maceration gave the highest berberine yield. Overall, the distribution and accumulation patterns of the secondary metabolites in the different organs of B. integerrima lead to their different applications.
全缘小檗是小檗科一种有价值的植物，用于医药和工业。该植物不同部位的特性各不相同，取决于其次生代谢产物的分布，包括生物碱和酚类化合物。在此，我们旨在评估和比较全缘小檗不同器官和组织中的酚类和生物碱。我们的结果表明，酚类化合物含量最高的是果实和叶片，而根部的总生物碱水平较高。在果实、叶片和茎中，主要的酚酸分别是咖啡酸、肉桂酸和没食子酸。相比之下，根部检测到的阿魏酸、儿茶素、白藜芦醇和木犀草素含量最高。小檗最重要的生物碱之一黄连素的含量在根部最高，尤其是在树皮组织中。进一步的实验表明，全缘小檗地上器官和根部的酚类化合物和黄连素分别可能是这些器官抗氧化能力的原因。鉴于根部黄连素含量高（6.26mg g-1干重），在尝试找到一种简单而有效的黄连素提取方法后，发现25℃下含2%乙酸的80%乙醇浸泡72小时可获得最高的黄连素产量。总体而言，全缘小檗不同器官中次生代谢产物的分布和积累模式导致了它们的不同应用。
