Barberries – Berberidaceae.
Parts used: fruits, leaves, root bark.
Pharmacy name: barberry fruit – Berberidis fructus (formerly: Fructus Berberidis), barberry leaves – Berberidis folium (formerly: Folia Berberidis), barberry root bark – Berberidis radicis cortex (formerly: Cortex Berberidis Radicis).
Botanical description. Barberry came to us from Africa through Spain. Prickly shrub up to 4 m in height. Young branches are red-brown, later dirty gray. The leaves, partially modified into triple spines, are arranged in bunches. The underside of the leaves is often affected by a rust fungus, for which the barberry serves as an intermediate host. Hanging racemose inflorescences of yellow flowers develop from the axils of the leaves, from which, after fertilization, shiny red elongated fruits develop. On the breaking of the stem or when cutting the roots, you can see that inside they are colored yellow. It blooms in May-June. It occurs in hedgerows, in light forests, on sunny hills and mountain slopes.
Collection and preparation. In August-September, the fruits ripen, and they can be harvested. Usually they make juice, but sometimes they are left to dry. Leaves should be collected in June and immediately air dried. The bark from the roots is harvested in autumn. November (October) is the best time for this. The dug out roots are cut, the bark is removed from them, strung on threads and quickly dried in the air.
active ingredients. Fruits contain vitamin C, organic acids, besides, they are rich in minerals and trace elements. There are no alkaloids in mature fruits, so they cannot be poisoned. But the leaves and especially the root bark are poisonous, as they contain many kinds of alkaloids, for example, berberine, oxyberberine, berbamine, yatorrizine and others. In addition, there are tannins, resins and wax.
Healing action and application.This medicinal raw material is of little use in medicine, although, given its composition, one would expect more. Only sometimes tea is prescribed from the leaves and bark of the roots for congestion in the liver or in general for insufficient formation of bile, in the absence of appetite, and also for constipation, if it is caused by a small secretion of bile. Barberry is also credited with a regulating effect on the heart. But I believe that all medicinal plants containing alkaloids can be taken only on the advice of a doctor. So, this also applies to barberry. For it is very easy to do more harm than good with a false diagnosis or an incorrect dosage. It is clear that with rheumatism they try everything that could bring relief, since medicine is not yet able to treat this disease. They also try barberry, but success can be due to various reasons. The German National Health Service also thinks so: if there is no reliable assessment of the effect of a remedy, then it cannot be recommended for use. But here is a medicine made from ripe barberry fruits worthy of a recommendation. Barberry juice or jelly is a great refreshing addition to breakfast and improves appetite in toddlers with reduced appetite. Those who do not like the too sour taste of berries can mix them with sweet pears. This will improve the insipid taste of the pears and soften the acidity of the barberry. Barberry juice, boiled with sugar, is considered a remedy for nausea in pregnant women. it improves appetite in babies with reduced appetite. Those who do not like the too sour taste of berries can mix them with sweet pears. This will improve the insipid taste of the pears and soften the acidity of the barberry. Barberry juice, boiled with sugar, is considered a remedy for nausea in pregnant women. it improves appetite in babies with reduced appetite. Those who do not like the too sour taste of berries can mix them with sweet pears. This will improve the insipid taste of the pears and soften the acidity of the barberry. Barberry juice, boiled with sugar, is considered a remedy for nausea in pregnant women.
- Barberry jelly: Boil 500 g of ripe barberry berries in a small amount of water, rub through a sieve and cook with an equal amount of sugar. The resulting jelly keeps well and is great for adding to other, especially sweet jelly.
Use in homeopathy. The dried bark of the roots is used to prepare the original tincture of Berberis (also called Berberis vulgarus in contrast to Berberis aquifolium from the American barberry). The tincture is used in dilution from D 1 to D 6 for biliary colic, cholecystitis, jaundice, hemorrhoids, kidney diseases accompanied by colic and bleeding, as well as for articular rheumatism. Take courses or, if necessary, 1-2 times 3-10 drops. In homeopathic practice, barberry is more used for chronic cases.
Application in folk medicine. Everything that was said in the section “Healing action and application” basically refers just to folk medicine. More often used tea from the leaves (less often from the bark of the roots). The action is the same.
- Barberry tea: 1-2 teaspoons of raw materials (leaves or root bark) pour 1/4 liter of boiling water and strain after 5 minutes. 1-2 cups every day is an ample dosage.
Side effects. The fruits are free of alkaloids and are therefore safe, but are sometimes poorly tolerated when raw. The alkaloid-containing leaves and root bark should not be used without medical advice. In case of an overdose, loss of consciousness, vomiting, diarrhea, nose and kidney bleeding can occur!