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Review
. 2022 Dec;30(6):2003-2016.
doi: 10.1007/s10787-022-01080-1. Epub 2022 Oct 2.

The role of berberine in Covid-19: potential adjunct therapy

Ahmad O Babalghith  1 , Hayder M Al-Kuraishy  2 , Ali I Al-Gareeb  2 , Michel De Waard  3   4   5 , Sadiq Mohammed Al-Hamash  2 , Sabatier Jean-Marc  6 , Walaa A Negm  7 , Gaber El-Saber Batiha  8
Affiliations
Review

The role of berberine in Covid-19: potential adjunct therapy

Ahmad O Babalghith et al. Inflammopharmacology. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a global diastrophic disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Covid-19 leads to inflammatory, immunological, and oxidative changes, by which SARS-CoV-2 leads to endothelial dysfunction (ED), acute lung injury (ALI), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and multi-organ failure (MOF). Despite evidence illustrating that some drugs and vaccines effectively manage and prevent Covid-19, complementary herbal medicines are urgently needed to control this pandemic disease. One of the most used herbal medicines is berberine (BBR), which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and immune-regulatory effects; thus, BBR may be a prospective candidate against SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review found that BBR has anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects with mitigation of associated inflammatory changes. BBR also reduces the risk of ALI/ARDS in Covid-19 patients by inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory signaling pathways. In conclusion, BBR has potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral effects. Therefore, it can be utilized as a possible anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent. BBR inhibits the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 and attenuates the associated inflammatory disorders linked by the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways. Indeed, BBR can alleviate ALI/ARDS in patients with severe Covid-19. In this sense, clinical trials and prospective studies are suggested to illustrate the potential role of BBR in treating Covid-19.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Antioxidant; Antiviral; Covid-19; Immune-regulatory effects; Inflammatory signaling pathways.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Chemical structure of berberine
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pharmacological effects of berberine(BBR)
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Fig. 3
Anti-inflammatory and immunological effects of berberine
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Antioxidant effects of berberine
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Antiviral effects of berberine
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Fig. 6
Antiviral mechanisms of berberine
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms of berberine
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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