[Effect of berberine in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus and complications and its relevant mechanisms].

Berberine (BBR) is a type of alkaloids isolated from Coptidis Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex and has been used to treat bacterial gastroenteritis, diarrhea and other digestive diseases for more than 1 000 years. According to recent studies, berberine has been found to have multiple pharmacological activities, including lowering blood glucose and lipid, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, relieving type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN), diabetic cardiovascular disease, diabetic peripheral neuropathy ( DPN) and other complications. In this article, the authors summarized the literature reports about the effects of BBR in lowering blood glucose and preventing and treating the above type 2 diabetes and its complications, in order to provide reference to further studies and promotion of BBR's application.