| Named scientifically as “Berberis Vulgaris”, the | | | | oxyacantha) and tanines. Barberry fruits contain |
| herb known as “barberry” is a thorny shrub with | | | | glucose, fructose, malic acid, pectine, vitamin C. The |
| yellow flowers, small red fruits. It grows along with | | | | active substances from the herb bring about the |
| other shrubs at the edge of fields or forests. This herb | | | | following effects: haemostatic, diuretic, vasodilator, |
| is a little pretentious regarding the type of soil it grows | | | | hypertensive, antibacterial (kills bacteria and parasites), |
| on; the type of barberry with caducous leaves are | | | | and anti-inflammatory. |
| heliophile, and those with persistent leaves can be | | | | Only the dry crust from the roots and stem is being |
| cultivated in the shade. | | | | used in medicinal purposes. Barbarry can be found on |
| Owing to its decorative aspect, the barberry is the | | | | the market under the forms of tea, tincture, pills and |
| shrub ideal for decorating parks and gardens. Some | | | | ointment. Usually the percentage of berberine from |
| species of barberry (Berberis Vulgaris) are | | | | those products is between 8 and 12%. The tincture |
| intermediary hosts for “Puccinia graminis” (stem | | | | should be consumed three times a day in doses of |
| rust of wheat), and for that reason it’s forbidden | | | | 1.2ml. |
| for the barberry to be cultivated in certain areas like | | | | Against sore throats barberry decoct for gargling is |
| the agricultural ones. People used barberry to protect | | | | effective. Against conjunctivitis the use of cataplasms |
| their properties against thieves because the thick | | | | with powdered barberry crust is recommended. |
| thorny shrub is ideal for hedges. | | | | The recommended doses must be respected exactly. |
| In the traditional Chinese medicine, barberry was | | | | Exceding them leads to the occurance of side efects |
| mentioned more than 3000 years ago. | | | | (nausea, vomit, dizziness, convulsions) and can also |
| Barbarry is known for containing Berberine, the potent | | | | lead to nosebleeds, kidney failure, swells of skin and |
| agent which has numerous usages in controlling | | | | eyes, decreasing of sugar from the blood. The |
| different illnesses (stimulates digestion and reduces the | | | | mixtures made from crust of barberry are forbidden |
| gastrointestinal pains). It’s also known that this | | | | to children, pregnant women or women in lactation |
| substance toughens the immune system. Apart from | | | | period. In cases of interation between this herb with |
| berberine in the chemical composition of the plant there | | | | other medicine to avoid side effects, the advice of the |
| are numerous active substances. The bark contains a | | | | physician should be asked for. |
| large number of alkaloids (berberine, berbamine, | | | | |