Barberry Consumption Helps Improve Vascular Endothelial Function in Adults with Hypertension

by | Dec 28, 2021 | 2021, Blood Pressure, Botanicals, Cardiovascular Health, Circulatory Health

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Consumption of 10 g of dried barberry a day resulted in improved flow mediated dilation and MCP-1, while also decreasing the circulating levels of ICAM-1 in subjects with hypertension.

cardiovascular health - blood pressureCardiovascular diseases are major contributors to global deaths, with hypertension being a significant risk factor contributing to cardiovascular disease mortalities 1. According to the American Heart Association, about 16.5% of mortality worldwide is related to hypertension 2. Hypertension is defined as having a blood pressure equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg 3. Chronically elevated blood pressure plays a pivotal role in heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and dementia 4. With cardiovascular diseases on the rise worldwide, it is necessary to increase understanding of hypertension to reduce the risk of hypertension-induced heart failure.

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a shrub in the family Berberidaceae and different parts of the plant, such as the fruits, leaves, and roots, have a long history of use in traditional medicine in both the East and West 5. Phytochemical analysis of the different components of barberry shows the presence of isoquinoline alkaloids (berbamine, tetrandrine and chondocurine) which have been studied for their anti-inflammatory and immune-suppressive functions 6. Additionally, the fruits, flowers, and seeds of barberry contain high levels of phenolic compounds, including anthocyanin, pectin, and organic acids such as tannins 7. Research on the robust antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of barberry has proven its use as a cardioprotective herb 8.

In this 8-week, single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial, researchers evaluated the effects of barberry on participants with hypertension who were currently on medication. The study consisted of 84 subjects (aged 54.06 ± 10.19 years; body mass index 28.02 ± 2.18 kg/m2) who were randomly allocated to either consume 10 g/day of dried barberry or placebo. To evaluate endothelial function, changes of brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and plasma macrophage/monocyte chemo-attractant protein-1 (MCP-1), vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were measured. FMD is a commonly used non-invasive validation tool to assess endothelial function, while MCP-1 and ICAM-1 are important endothelial injury biomarkers 9. After 8 weeks of supplementation, the results were as follows:

  • Flow-mediated dilation was significantly increased in the barberry group compared to placebo (B [95% CI] was 6.54% [4.39, 8.70]; p < .001).
  • ICAM-1 plasma levels were significantly reduced in the barberry group compared to control (B [95% CI] was -1.61 ng/ml [-2.74, -0.48]; p = .006).
  • MCP-1 was significantly lower in the barberry group compared to placebo (B [95% CI] was -37.62 pg/ml [-72.07, -3.17]; p = .033).
  • FMD changes after 8 weeks of supplementation were negatively correlated with corresponding changes in ICAM-1 levels (p = .005).
  • No significant correlations were observed between FMD and plasma VCAM-1 or MCP-1 (p = .94; p = .34, respectively).

The results of this study show that barberry consumption significantly improved endothelial function assessed by changes in flow-mediated dilation. Furthermore, 8-week barberry supplementation decreased plasma levels of ICAM-1 and improved MCP-1 levels compared to the control group.

Limitations of the study include the lack of measuring metabolites of phenolic compounds in subjects which could provide further insight into the role polyphenols play in hypertension. In addition, the short length of the study does not provide adequate information on the sustainability of the observed effects. Researchers suggest that future studies should be done to further evaluate the cardioprotective properties of barberry.

Source: Emamat, Hadi, Sanaz Asadian, Ali Zahedmehr, Matin Ghanavati, and Javad Nasrollahzadeh. “The effect of barberry (Berberis vulgaris) consumption on flow‐mediated dilation and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with hypertension: A randomized controlled trial.” Phytotherapy Research 35, no. 5 (2021): 2607-2615.

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

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Posted December 28, 2021.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

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