An evergreen thorny shrub reaching as high as 8 ft with yellow wood and thin, brittle, pale and yellowish-gray bark. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects.

Anticancer, hypoglycemic, antiinflammatory and stimulates the cardiovascular system (root); antiamoebic, antibacterial, anticoagulant and hypotensive (root bark); diaphoretic, laxative, antipyretic, antiseptic, aids in opening the natural ducts and pores.

Berberis aristata
Herbal Monograph
Plants for a Future
Tattvas's Herbs

Berberine, berberine chlorides, palmative chloride, berbamine, pendulin, aromoline, oxyacanthine, oxyberberine, karachine and taxilamine (root bark).

Jaundice, diarrhea and skin diseases (root bark juice); sporadic fever and malaria (root bark decoction); in amenorrhea, menorrhagia and leucorrhea (root bark); hemorrhoids, eye and stomach maladies, cholera, stimulating the secretion of gastric juices.

Standardized Barberry extracts can cause stomach upset and should be used for no more than 2 weeks at a time. Exceeding berberine intake could cause lethargy, nose bleed, skin and eye irritation, and kidney irritation. Barberry should not be used by young children, particularly infants, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease. If you are taking Doxycycline or Tetracycline, consult with your physician before taking Barberry.

Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.