Yang Xue, Wang Yanfen, Li Ling, Tang Daiyan, Yan Zhong, Li MingYan, Jiang Jiayi, Bi Dongming
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Deyang Hospital Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Deyang, Sichuan, China.
Front Microbiol. 2025 Sep 2;16:1643409. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1643409. eCollection 2025.
The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has led to the gradual decline in the effectiveness of existing antibiotics, posing a significant threat to global health. Many phytochemicals have antimicrobial activity, but few have been developed for clinical use. Berberine, an alkaloid found in various medicinal plants, has been recognized as a promising strategy to combat AMR due to its notable antimicrobial activity and role in reversing resistance. Here, we present a systematic, comprehensive and objective overview of the antimicrobial activity, mechanism of action, and limitations of berberine. Additionally, we discuss the antimicrobial efficacy of berberine extracts and nanoformulations. Berberine demonstrates broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity by inhibiting FtsZ, disrupting cell membranes and cell walls, and interfering with DNA and RNA synthesis. However, due to its low bioavailability and lack of systematic validation, the efficacy of berberine as a standalone treatment for bacterial infections requires further investigation. Nevertheless, it can serve as an antibiotic adjuvant to enhance the efficacy of conventional antibiotics and reverse AMR. Moreover, the excellent antimicrobial effects exhibited by berberine extracts and nanoformulations may overcome these limitations, representing potential future applications of berberine. In conclusion, berberine has great potential as an antimicrobial agent and antibiotic adjuvant in combating AMR, but systematic and comprehensive and clinical trials are still needed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of berberine and optimize its use.
抗菌药物耐药性（AMR）的日益普遍导致现有抗生素的有效性逐渐下降，对全球健康构成重大威胁。许多植物化学物质具有抗菌活性，但很少有被开发用于临床。小檗碱是一种存在于多种药用植物中的生物碱，因其显著的抗菌活性和在逆转耐药性方面的作用，已被认为是对抗AMR的一种有前景的策略。在此，我们对小檗碱的抗菌活性、作用机制和局限性进行系统、全面且客观的概述。此外，我们还讨论了小檗碱提取物和纳米制剂的抗菌效果。小檗碱通过抑制FtsZ、破坏细胞膜和细胞壁以及干扰DNA和RNA合成来展现广谱抗菌活性。然而，由于其低生物利用度和缺乏系统验证，小檗碱作为细菌感染单一治疗方法的疗效需要进一步研究。尽管如此，它可作为抗生素佐剂来提高传统抗生素的疗效并逆转AMR。此外，小檗碱提取物和纳米制剂所展现的优异抗菌效果可能会克服这些局限性，代表了小檗碱未来的潜在应用。总之，小檗碱作为一种抗菌剂和抗生素佐剂在对抗AMR方面具有巨大潜力，但仍需要系统、全面的临床试验来评估小檗碱的治疗效果并优化其使用。
