Coptidis Rhizoma: a comprehensive review of its traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology

Wang, Jin; Wang, Lin; Lou, Guan-Hua; Zeng, Hai-Rong; Hu, Ju; Huang, Qin-Wan; Peng, Wei; Yang, Xiang-Bo

In recent years, berberine has been demonstrated to treat DM by modulating the structure and diversity of gut microbiota, including enrichment of beneficial microbes and inhibition of harmful microbes . The bioavailability of berberine is very low, and the absorption rate is only 5-10% in the intestinal tract. However, it can significantly reduce the activity of disaccharidase and a-glucosidase in the intestinal tract, resulting in a reduction the absorption of glucose and postprandial hyperglycemia Li ZQ et al. 2012) . CR alkaloid treatment avoided a decline in the diversity of gut microbes in obese mice and favoured the maintenance of a stable and healthy bacterial community in high-fat high cholesterol (HFHC)-fed animals (Kai 2017) . Berberine can lead to an increase in the abundance of probiotics such as Blautia, Bacteroides, Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, and a decrease in relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroides in the intestinal tract of animals Gu et al. 2017) .