berberine

American

[bur-buh-reen] / ˈbɜr bəˌrin /

noun

Pharmacology.

a white or yellow, crystalline, water-soluble alkaloid, C 20 H 19 NO 5 , derived from barberry or goldenseal, used as an antipyrotic, antibacterial, and stomachic.

berberine British

/ ˈbɜːbəˌriːn /

noun

a yellow bitter-tasting alkaloid obtained from barberry and other plants and used medicinally, esp in tonics. Formula: C 20 H 19 NO 5

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of berberine

1860–65; < New Latin Berber ( is ) ( berberidaceous ) + -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He added many supplements have “antibacterial properties,” like garlic, peppermint, berberine and probiotics, which could treat bacterial overgrowth, but don't have the scientific evidence to support them.

From Salon

Someone said berberine could help but I don’t know much about this supplement.

From Seattle Times

A pilot study tested berberine supplements for three months.

From Seattle Times

That includes berberine, which has been dubbed “nature’s own Ozempic.”

From Scientific American

Particularly troubling is how berberine might interact with other medications.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023