Named scientifically as “Berberis Vulgaris”, the herb known as “barberry” is a thorny shrub with yellow flowers, small red fruits. It grows along with other shrubs at the edge of fields or forests. This herb is a little pretentious regarding the type of soil it grows on; the type of barberry with caducous leaves are heliophile, and those with persistent leaves can be cultivated in the shade.

Owing to its decorative aspect, the barberry is the shrub ideal for decorating parks and gardens. Some species of barberry (Berberis Vulgaris) are intermediary hosts for “Puccinia graminis” (stem rust of wheat), and for that reason it’s forbidden for the barberry to be cultivated in certain areas like the agricultural ones. People used barberry to protect their properties against thieves because the thick thorny shrub is ideal for hedges.

In the traditional Chinese medicine, barberry was mentioned more than 3000 years ago.

Barbarry is known for containing Berberine, the potent agent which has numerous usages in controlling different illnesses (stimulates digestion and reduces the gastrointestinal pains). It’s also known that this substance toughens the immune system. Apart from berberine in the chemical composition of the plant there are numerous active substances. The bark contains a large number of alkaloids (berberine, berbamine, oxyacantha) and tanines. Barberry fruits contain glucose, fructose, malic acid, pectine, vitamin C. The active substances from the herb bring about the following effects: haemostatic, diuretic, vasodilator, hypertensive, antibacterial (kills bacteria and parasites), and anti-inflammatory.

Only the dry crust from the roots and stem is being used in medicinal purposes. Barbarry can be found on the market under the forms of tea, tincture, pills and ointment. Usually the percentage of berberine from those products is between 8 and 12%. The tincture should be consumed three times a day in doses of 1.2ml.
Against sore throats barberry decoct for gargling is effective. Against conjunctivitis the use of cataplasms with powdered barberry crust is recommended.

The recommended doses must be respected exactly. Exceding them leads to the occurance of side efects (nausea, vomit, dizziness, convulsions) and can also lead to nosebleeds, kidney failure, swells of skin and eyes, decreasing of sugar from the blood. The mixtures made from crust of barberry are forbidden to children, pregnant women or women in lactation period. In cases of interation between this herb with other medicine to avoid side effects, the advice of the physician should be asked for.