Goldenseal extract and berberine benefits Influenza A patients.
A study entitled “Inhibition of H1N1 influenza A virus growth and induction of inflammatory mediators by the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine and extracts of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)” done in the Department of Microbiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC, United States, that was published in the International Immunopharmacology 2011 Nov states that isoquinoline alkaloid berberine can inhibit the growth of influenza A. These studies revealed strong effectiveness at high concentrations, although upon dilution extracts were somewhat less effective than purified berberine. Taken together, the results suggest that berberine may indeed be useful for the treatment of infections with influenza A.
Goldenseal extracts synergistically enhance the antibacterial activity of berberine
In a study entitled “Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) extracts synergistically enhance the antibacterial activity of berberine via efflux pump inhibition” as done in the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, The University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC USA., published in the Planta Medicinal 2011 May, states that goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) can combat inflammation and infection. Its antibacterial activity in vitRO has been attributed to its alkaloids, the most abundant of which is berberine. Synergistic antibacterial activity was observed between the aerial extract (FIC 0.375) and to a lesser extent the root extract (FIC 0.750) and berberine. These studies indicate that the roots of goldenseal contain higher levels of alkaloids than the aerial portions, but the aerial portions synergize with berberine more significantly than the roots. Furthermore, extracts from the aerial portions of goldenseal contain efflux pump inhibitors, while efflux pump inhibitory activity was not observed for the root extract. The three most abundant goldenseal alkaloids, berberine, hydrastine, and canadine, are not responsible for the efflux pump inhibitory activity of the extracts from H. canadensis aerial portions.
Supplementation with goldenseal inhibits human CYP3
Another study entitled “Supplementation with goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), but not kava kava (Piper methysticum), inhibits human CYP3A activity in vivo” done in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. As published in the Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2008 Jan; reported the effects of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) and kava kava (Piper methysticum) supplementation on human CYP3A activity. In the study were evaluated using midazolam (MDZ) as a phenotypic probe. Sixteen healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either goldenseal or kava kava for 14 days. Comparisons of pre- and post-supplementation MDZ pharmacokinetic parameters revealed significant inhibition of CYP3A by goldenseal (AUC(0-infinity), 107.9+/-43.3 vs 175.3+/-74.8 ng x h/ml; Cl/F/kg, 1.26+/-0.59 vs 0.81+/-0.45 l/h/kg; T(1/2), 2.01+/-0.42 vs 3.15+/-1.12 h; Cmax, 50.6+/-26.9 vs 71.2+/-50.5 ng/ml). MDZ disposition was not affected by kava kava supplementation. These findings suggest that significant herb-drug interactions may result from the concomitant ingestion of goldenseal and CYP3A substrates.
Goldenseal extract acts as an LDL lowering agent.
In the study “The medicinal plant goldenseal is a natural LDL-lowering agent with multiple bioactive components and new action mechanisms” published in the Journal of Lipid Research, Oct 2006, It is reported that identified berberine (BBR), an alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb huanglian, has a unique cholesterol-lowering drug that upregulates hepatic low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) expression through a mechanism of mRNA stabilization. In this study, it was demonstrated that the root extract of goldenseal, a BBR-containing medicinal plant, is highly effective in upregulation of liver LDLR expression in HepG2 cells and in reducing plasma cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in hyperlipidemic hamsters, with greater activities than the pure compound BBR. The substantial evidence show that goldenseal contains natural MDR1 antagonist(s) that accentuate the upregulatory effect of BBR on LDLR mRNA expression. These new findings identify goldenseal as a natural LDL-c-lowering agent, and our studies provide a molecular basis for the mechanisms of action.
Antimicrobial activity of goldenseal constituents.
In another study entitled “Antimicrobial constituents from goldenseal (the Rhizomes of Hydrastis canadensis) against selected oral pathogens” that was published in the Planta Medicinal Journal of July 2003, reported that two new C-methyl flavonoids, 6,8-di- C-methylluteolin 7-methyl ether (1) and 6- C-methylluteolin 7-methyl ether (2), were isolated from a commercially available sample of the roots of Hydrastis Canadensis (goldenseal), along with seven known compounds, berberine (3), beta-hydrastine (4), canadine (5), canadaline (6), isocorypalmine (7), canadinic acid (8), and beta-sitosterol 3- O-beta- D-glucoside (9). The structures of the new compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data including 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Of these isolates, berberine (3) and, to a lesser extent, 1 and 2, showed antimicrobial activity when evaluated against the oral pathogens Streptococcus mutans and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Berberine (3) exhibited an additive antimicrobial effect when tested against S. mutans in combination with 1.