Oregon Grape
OTHER NAME(S): Barberry, Berberis, Blue Barberry, Creeping Barberry, Holly Barberry, Holly Mahonia, Holly-Leaved Berberis, Mahonia, Mahonia Faux Houx, Mahonia à Feuilles de Houx, Mahonie, Mountain-Grape, Oregon Barberry, Oregon Grape-Holly, Scraperoot, Trailing Mahonia, Uva de Oregon, Vigne de l'Oregon, Water-Holly, Mahonia aquifolium, Berberis aquifolium, Berberis diversifolia, Mahonia diversifolia, Mahonia nervosa, Berberis nervosa, Mahonia repens, Berberis repens, Berberis sonnei, Mahonia sonnei, Oregon-Grape, Mahonia Grape, Grand raisin de l'Oregon, Uva de Oregón
Overview
Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) is a plant native to the western coast of North America. It has a history of use in American folk medicine.
Oregon grape contains chemicals that might help fight bacterial and fungal infections. Oregon grape might also reduce inflammation from skin conditions such as psoriasis.
People use Oregon grape for scaly, itchy skin (psoriasis). It is also used for eczema, indigestion, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Oregon grape is sometimes called Oregon barberry. Don't confuse Oregon grape with European barberry. These are not the same.
Uses
Possibly Effective for
- Scaly, itchy skin (psoriasis). Applying a specific Oregon grape extract cream (Relieva, Apollo Pharmaceutical) to the skin somewhat improves symptoms and quality of life in people with psoriasis.
There is interest in using Oregon grape for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Oregon grape is commonly consumed in foods. But there isn't enough reliable information to know if Oregon grape is safe to use in larger amounts as medicine or what the side effects might be.
When applied to the skin: Oregon grape is possibly safe when a specific 10% Oregon grape cream (Relieva, Apollo Pharmaceutical) is used for up to 12 weeks. Side effects might include itching, burning, irritation, and allergic reactions.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Oregon grape is commonly consumed in foods. But there isn't enough reliable information to know if Oregon grape is safe to use in larger amounts as medicine or what the side effects might be.
When applied to the skin: Oregon grape is possibly safe when a specific 10% Oregon grape cream (Relieva, Apollo Pharmaceutical) is used for up to 12 weeks. Side effects might include itching, burning, irritation, and allergic reactions.
Pregnancy: Oregon grape Is likely unsafe when taken by mouth during pregnancy. Oregon grape contains a chemical called berberine, which might cause harm to the fetus.
Breast-feeding: Oregon grape is likely unsafe when taken by mouth while breast-feeding. Oregon grape contains a chemical called berberine, which can be transferred to the infant through breast milk.
Children: Oregon grape is likely unsafe when given to infants by mouth. The berberine in Oregon grape can cause brain damage in newborns, particularly premature newborns who have jaundice. There isn't enough reliable information to know if Oregon grape is safe when used by older children.
Interactions
Moderate Interaction
Be cautious with this combination
- Medications moved by pumps in cells (P-glycoprotein substrates) interacts with Oregon GrapeSome medications are moved in and out of cells by pumps. Oregon grape might change how these pumps work and change how much medication stays in the body. In some cases, this might change the effects and side effects of a medication.
- Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) interacts with Oregon GrapeThe body breaks down cyclosporine to get rid of it. Oregon grape might decrease how fast the body breaks down cyclosporine. This might cause there to be too much cyclosporine in the body and potentially cause side effects.
- Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with Oregon GrapeSome medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Oregon grape might change how quickly the liver breaks down these medications. This could change the effects and side effects of these medications.
- Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) substrates) interacts with Oregon GrapeSome medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Oregon grape might change how quickly the liver breaks down these medications. This could change the effects and side effects of these medications.
- Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) substrates) interacts with Oregon GrapeSome medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Oregon grape might change how quickly the liver breaks down these medications. This could change the effects and side effects of these medications.
- Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with Oregon GrapeOregon grape might lower blood sugar levels. Taking Oregon grape along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely.
- Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interacts with Oregon GrapeOregon grape might lower blood pressure. Taking Oregon grape along with medications that lower blood pressure might cause blood pressure to go too low. Monitor your blood pressure closely.
- Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with Oregon GrapeOregon grape might slow blood clotting. Taking Oregon grape along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
- Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with Oregon GrapeOregon grape might cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Some medications, called sedatives, can also cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Taking Oregon grape with sedative medications might cause breathing problems and/or too much sleepiness.
Dosing
Oregon grape has most often been applied to the skin as a topical cream in adults. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product and dose might be best for a specific condition.
References
- Rabbani GH, Butler T, Knight J, et al. Randomized controlled trial of berberine sulfate therapy for diarrhea due to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae. J Infect Dis 1987;155:979-84.
- Wiesenauer M, Lydtke R. Mahonia aquifolium in patients with Psoriasis vulgaris; an intraindividual study. Phytomedicine 1996;3:231-5.
- Natural Health Remedies. Health Canada. Available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/archives/96-97/herbnae.html (Accessed 16 July 1999).
- Gieler U, von der Weth A, Heger M. Mahonia aquifolium- a new type of topical treatment for psoriasis. J Dermatol Treatment 1995;6:31-4.
- Rehman J, Dillow JM, Carter SM, et al. Increased production of antigen-specific immunoglobulins G and M following in vivo treatment with the medicinal plants Echinacea angustifolia and Hydrastis canadensis. Immunol Lett 1999;68:391-5.
- Kaneda Y, Torii M, Tanaka T, Aikawa M. In vitro effects of berberine sulphate on the growth and structure of Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas vaginalis. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 1991;85:417-25.
- Gupte S. Use of berberine in treatment of giardiasis. Am J Dis Child 1975;129:866.
- Chan E. Displacement of bilirubin from albumin by berberine. Biol Neonate 1993;63:201-8.
- Bhide MB, Chavan SR, Dutta NK. Absorption, distribution and excretion of berberine. Indian J Med Res 1969;57:2128-31.
- Amin AH, Subbaiah TV, Abbasi KM. Berberine sulfate: antimicrobial activity, bioassay, and mode of action. Can J Microbiol 1969;15:1067-76.
- Sun D, Courtney HS, Beachey EH. Berberine sulfate blocks adherence of Streptococcus pyogenes to epithelial cells, fibronectin, and hexadecane. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1988;32:1370-4.
- Scazzocchio F, Corneta MF, Tomassini L, Palmery M. Antibacterial activity of Hydrastis canadensis extract and its major isolated alkaloids. Planta Med 2001;67:561-4.
- Fukuda K, Hibiya Y, Mutoh M, et al. Inhibition by berberine of cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activity in human colon cancer cells. J Ethnopharmacol 1999;66:227-33.
- Janbaz KH, Gilani AH. Studies on preventive and curative effects of berberine on chemical-induced hepatotoxicity in rodents. Fitoterapia 2000;71:25-33..
- Zeng XH, Zeng XJ, Li YY. Efficacy and safety of berberine for congestive heart failure secondary to ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Am J Cardiol 2003;92:173-6.
- Anis KV, Rajeshkumar NV, Kuttan R. Inhibition of chemical carcinogenesis by berberine in rats and mice. J Pharm Pharmacol 2001;53:763-8. .
- Hsiang CY, Wu SL, Cheng SE, Ho TY. Acetaldehyde-induced interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production is inhibited by berberine through nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway in HepG2 cells. J Biomed Sci 2005;12:791-801.
- Wu X, Li Q, Xin H, Yu A, Zhong M. Effects of berberine on the blood concentration of cyclosporin A in renal transplanted recipients: clinical and pharmacokinetic study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2005;61:567-72.
- Tsai PL, Tsai TH. Hepatobiliary excretion of berberine. Drug Metab Dispos 2004;32:405-12. .
- Ang ES, Lee ST, Gan CS, et al. Evaluating the role of alternative therapy in burn wound management: randomized trial comparing moist exposed burn ointment with conventional methods in the management of patients with second-degree burns. MedGenMed 2001;3:3.
- Li B, Shang JC, Zhou QX. [Study of total alkaloids from rhizoma coptis chinensis on experimental gastric ulcers]. Chin J Integr Med 2005;11:217-21.
- Kim SH, Shin DS, Oh MN, et al. Inhibition of the bacterial surface protein anchoring transpeptidase sortase by isoquinoline alkaloids. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2004;68:421-4..
- Hyodo T, Taira T, Kumakura M, et al. The immediate effect of Shakuyaku-kanzo-to, traditional Japanese herbal medicine, for muscular cramps during maintenance hemodialysis. Nephron 2002;90:240.
- Gulliver WP, Donsky HJ. A report on three recent clinical trials using Mahonia aquifolium 10% topical cream and a review of the worldwide clinical experience with Mahonia aquifolium for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Am J Ther 2005;12:398-406.
- Rackova L, Majekova M, Kost'alova D, Stefek M. Antiradical and antioxidant activities of alkaloids isolated from Mahonia aquifolium. Structural aspects. Bioorg Med Chem 2004;12:4709-15.
- Slobodnikova L, Kost'alova D, Labudova D, et al. Antimicrobial activity of Mahonia aquifolium crude extract and its major isolated alkaloids. Phytother Res 2004;18:674-6.
- Vollekova A, Kost'alova D, Kettmann V, Toth J. Antifungal activity of Mahonia aquifolium extract and its major protoberberine alkaloids. Phytother Res 2003;17:834-7.
- Bernstein S, Donsky H, Gullver W, et al. Treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis with Relieva, a Mahonia aquifolium extract - a double blind, placebo-controlled study. Am J Ther 2006;13:121-6.
- Zhang Y, Li X, Zou D, et al. Treatment of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia with the natural plant alkaloid berberine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:2559-65.
- Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, Arnason JT. An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures. Phytomedicine 2000;7:273-82.
- Chatterjee P, Franklin MR. Human cytochrome p450 inhibition and metabolic-intermediate complex formation by goldenseal extract and its methylenedioxyphenyl components. Drug Metab Dispos 2003;31:1391-7.
- Shanbhag, S. M., Kulkarni, H. J., and Gaitonde, B. B. Pharmacological actions of berberine on the central nervous system. Jpn.J Pharmacol 1970;20(4):482-487.
- Misik, V., Bezakova, L., Malekova, L., and Kostalova, D. Lipoxygenase inhibition and antioxidant properties of protoberberine and aporphine alkaloids isolated from Mahonia aquifolium. Planta Med 1995;61(4):372-373.
- Wu, J. F. and Liu, T. P. [Effects of berberine on platelet aggregation and plasma levels of TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in rats with reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion]. Yao Xue.Xue.Bao. 1995;30(2):98-102.
- Peng, W. H., Hsieh, M. T., and Wu, C. R. Effect of long-term administration of berberine on scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats. Jpn J Pharmacol 1997;74(3):261-266.
- Sabir M and Bhide NK. Study of some pharmacological actions of berberine. Ind J Physiol & Pharmac 1971;15(3):111-132.
- Tripathi YB and Shukla SD. Berberis artistata inhibits PAF induced aggregation of rabbit platelets. Phytotherapy Research 1996;10:628-630.
- Lee, Y. S., Kim, W. S., Kim, K. H., Yoon, M. J., Cho, H. J., Shen, Y., Ye, J. M., Lee, C. H., Oh, W. K., Kim, C. T., Hohnen-Behrens, C., Gosby, A., Kraegen, E. W., James, D. E., and Kim, J. B. Berberine, a natural plant product, activates AMP-activated protein kinase with beneficial metabolic effects in diabetic and insulin-resistant states. Diabetes 2006;55(8):2256-2264.
- Cheng, Z., Pang, T., Gu, M., Gao, A. H., Xie, C. M., Li, J. Y., Nan, F. J., and Li, J. Berberine-stimulated glucose uptake in L6 myotubes involves both AMPK and p38 MAPK. Biochim.Biophys.Acta 2006;1760(11):1682-1689.
- Yin, J., Gao, Z., Liu, D., Liu, Z., and Ye, J. Berberine improves glucose metabolism through induction of glycolysis. Am J Physiol Endocrinol.Metab 2008;294(1):E148-E156.
- Yin, J., Xing, H., and Ye, J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 2008;57(5):712-717.
- Zhou, J. Y., Zhou, S. W., Zhang, K. B., Tang, J. L., Guang, L. X., Ying, Y., Xu, Y., Zhang, L., and Li, D. D. Chronic effects of berberine on blood, liver glucolipid metabolism and liver PPARs expression in diabetic hyperlipidemic rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 2008;31(6):1169-1176.
- Lu, S. S., Yu, Y. L., Zhu, H. J., Liu, X. D., Liu, L., Liu, Y. W., Wang, P., Xie, L., and Wang, G. J. Berberine promotes glucagon-like peptide-1 (7-36) amide secretion in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Endocrinol. 2009;200(2):159-165.
- Zhang, H., Wei, J., Xue, R., Wu, J. D., Zhao, W., Wang, Z. Z., Wang, S. K., Zhou, Z. X., Song, D. Q., Wang, Y. M., Pan, H. N., Kong, W. J., and Jiang, J. D. Berberine lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients through increasing insulin receptor expression. Metabolism 2010;59(2):285-292.
- Guo, Y., Chen, Y., Tan, Z. R., Klaassen, C. D., and Zhou, H. H. Repeated administration of berberine inhibits cytochromes P450 in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2012;68(2):213-217.
- Wei, W., Zhao, H., Wang, A., Sui, M., Liang, K., Deng, H., Ma, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, H., and Guan, Y. A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Eur J Endocrinol. 2012;166(1):99-105.
- Hermann, R. and von, Richter O. Clinical evidence of herbal drugs as perpetrators of pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Planta Med 2012;78(13):1458-1477.
- Chun YT, Yip TT, Lau KL, and et al. A biochemical study on the hypotensive effect of berberine in rats. Gen Pharmac 1979;10:177-182.
- Miyazaki, H., Shirai, E., Ishibashi, M., Hosoi, K., Shibata, S., and Iwanaga, M. Quantitation of berberine chloride in human urine by use of selected ion monitoring in the field desorption mode. Biomed.Mass Spectrom. 1978;5(10):559-565.
- Augustin, M., Andrees, U., Grimme, H., Schopf, E., and Simon, J. Effects of Mahonia aquifolium ointment on the expression of adhesion, proliferation, and activation markers in the skin of patients with psoriasis. Forsch.Komplementarmed. 1999;6 Suppl 2:19-21.
- Cernakova, M. and Kostalova, D. Antimicrobial activity of berberine--a constituent of Mahonia aquifolium. Folia Microbiol.(Praha) 2002;47(4):375-378.
- Donsky, H. and Clarke, D. Relieva, a Mahonia aquifolium extract for the treatment of adult patients with atopic dermatitis. Am.J.Ther. 2007;14(5):442-446.
- Rohrer, U., Kunz, E. M., Lenkeit, K., Schaffner, W., and Meyer, J. Antimicrobial activity of Mahonia aquifolium and two of its alkaloids against oral bacteria. Schweiz.Monatsschr.Zahnmed. 2007;117(11):1126-1131.
- Klovekorn, W., Tepe, A., and Danesch, U. A randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, half-side comparison with a herbal ointment containing Mahonia aquifolium, Viola tricolor and Centella asiatica for the treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. Int.J.Clin.Pharmacol.Ther. 2007;45(11):583-591.
- Reuter, J., Wolfle, U., Weckesser, S., and Schempp, C. Which plant for which skin disease? Part 1: Atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, condyloma and herpes simplex. J Dtsch.Dermatol.Ges. 2010;8(10):788-796.
- Eaker, E. Y. and Sninsky, C. A. Effect of berberine on myoelectric activity and transit of the small intestine in rats. Gastroenterology 1989;96(6):1506-1513.
- Wiesenauer M., Ludtke R. Mahonia aquifolium in patients with psoriasis vulgaris - an intraindividual study. 1996;3:231-235.
- Rob C., Durk W. Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in the invasive shrub Mahonia aquifolium (Berberidacea) and their applicability in related species. Molecular Ecology Notes 2006;6(3):948-950.
- Coughlan KA, Valentine RJ, Ruderman NB, Saha AK. AMPK activation: a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes? Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2014;7:241-53.
- Lan J, Zhao Y, Dong F, et al. Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia and hypertension. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;161:69-81.
- Fan Y, Zhou Z, Zhang L. Effect of Oregon grape root extracts on P-glycoprotein mediated transport in in vitro cell lines. J Pharm Pharm Sci 2024;26:11927.