From Traditional Use to Toxicology: Ethnobotanical Analysis and Acute Toxicity Assessment of Berberis sp in Algeria
Keywords:
Berberis hispanica, Berberis vulgaris ssp. australis, ethnobotany, toxicology, lethal dose 50 (LD50)Abstract
Introduction: This study aims to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and toxicological assessment, focusing on species of the Berberis genus used in Algerian folk remedies.
Materials and Methods: An ethnobotanical study was conducted based on a bibliographic analysis and field surveys. At the same time, experimental test was conducted to verify the immediate harmful effects on BALB/c mice using an aqueous extract obtained by boiling 10% of the root bark of wich has being identified as Berberi shispanica (later known as Berberis vulgaris ssp. australis), collected in Tikejda forest arean (Djurdura national park). Experimental test has being conducted in accordance with OECD 423 guidelines.
Results: The ethnobotanical survey revealed frequent confusions between Berberis vulgaris and Berberis hispanica, we fund a marked lack of awarness ignorance among 93% of the herbalists interviewed about the availability and existence of Berberis taxa in Algeria, as well as the origin of plant material sold. This ignorance increases the risk of misidentification. The LD50 was estimated at 3162.27 mg/k, while the total lethal dose was 5000 mg/kg in males and 6000 mg/kg in females, indicating a higher toxicological sensitivity in males.
References
−
Anonymous. (2000). Berberine. Alternatives Medicine Review, 5(2), 175-177. PMID: 10767672.
−
Aissa, L., Merazi, Z., Hanitet Nour, E. H., Drir, F. Z. (2019). Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Sidi Bel Abbes region (North-west Algeria). Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas, 18(4), 392. https://doi.org/10.35588
−
Aribi, I., Chemat, S., Hamdi-Pacha, Y., Luyten, W. (2017). Isolation of berberine tannate using a chromatography activity-guided fractionation from root bark of Berberis hispanica Boiss. & Reut. Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies, 40(12), 894-899. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826076.2017.1397793
−
Azzi, R., Djaziri, R., Lahfa, F., Sekkal, F. Z., Benmehdi, H., Belkacem, N. (2012). Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of diabetes mellitus in the North Western and South Western Algeria. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 6(10), 2041-2050. https://doi.org/10.5897/JMPR11.1796
−
Battandier, J., Trabut, L. (1888). Flore de l’Algérie ancienne flore d’Alger transformée (p. 229). Librairie F. Savy.
−
Belabdelli, F., El-Kadi, F. Z., Benaoula, S. A., Bekhti, N., Piras, A., Taleb, I., Sekkal-Rahal, M. (2023). Phytoconstituents effects of traditionally used herbs on dissolution and inhibition of kidney stones (CaOx). Farmacia, 71(6).
−
Benarba, B. (2015). Use of medicinal plants by breast cancer patients in Algeria. EXCLI Journal, 14, 1164–1166. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2015-571.
−
Benarba, B. (2016). Medicinal plants used by traditional healers from South-West Algeria: An ethnobotanical study. Journal of Intercultural Ethnopharmacology, 5(4), 320–330. https://doi.org/10.5455/jice.20160814115725
−
Bertherand, E. L. (1859). Des ressources que la matière médicale arabe peut offrir aux pharmacopées française et algérienne. A. Bourget.
−
Bereksi, M. S., Hassaïne, H., Bekhechi, C., Abdelouahid, D. E. (2018). Evaluation of antibacterial activity of some medicinal plants extracts commonly used in Algerian traditional medicine against some pathogenic bacteria. Pharmacognosy Journal, 10(3), 507-512. https://doi.org/10.5530/pj.2018.3.83
−
Bereksi, M. S., Hassaïne, H., Abdelouahid, D. E. (2017). Combination evaluation of some Algerian medicinal plant extracts in association with antibiotics. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, 7(5), 184-188. https://doi.org/10.7324/JAPS.2017.7053
−
Boudjelthia, W. O., Hammadi, K., Kouidri, M., Djebli, N. L. (2017). Evaluation of antidiabetic activity of two plants: Berberis vulgaris and Zygophyllum geslini. Physical Chemistry and Biophysics. https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0398.1000236
−
Boudjlida, A., Kaci, S., Karaki, S., Benayad, T., Rocchi, P., Smati, D., Bouguerra Aouichat, S. (2019). Berberis hispanica alkaloids extract induced cell death and apoptosis in human laryngeal cancer cells
−
Chelghoum, M., Khitri, W., Bouzid, S., Lakermi, A. (2021). New trends in the use of medicinal plants by Algerian diabetic patients, considerations of herb-drug interactions. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 274, 113984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2021.113984
−
Cosson, E. (1879). Règne végétal en Algérie : Considérations générales sur l’Algérie, sa végétation spontanée et ses cultures. Imprimerie d’A. Quantin.
−
Chemat, S., Aribi, I., Hamdi-Pacha, Y., Luyten, W. (2017). Isolation of berberine tannate using a chromatography activity-guided fractionation from root bark of Berberis hispanica Boiss. & Reut. Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies, 40(12), 894-899. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826076.2017.1397793
−
Diezi, J. (1989). Toxicologie: principes de base et répercussions cliniques. In Pharmacologie: Des concepts fondamentaux aux applications thérapeutiques (pp. 33-44). Slatkine.
−
Djaziri, R., Mezzouar, D., Lahfa, F. B., Boucherit-Otmani, Z. (2014). Évaluation de l’activité antioxydante de Berberis vulgaris L. Phytothérapie, 12(6), 350-356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10298-014-0867-1
−
Djaziri, R., Mezzouar, D., Lahfa, F. B., Boucherit Otmani, Z. (2014). Activité antimicrobienne d’extraits d’écorce de racines de Berberis vulgaris. Phytothérapie, 12(6), 380-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10298-014-0863-5
−
El Fakir, L., Bourhia, M., Salamatullah, A. M., Alzahrani, A., Ullah, R., Ezzeldin, E., Mostafa, G. A., Bari, A., Alaoui, T., Gmouh, S., Benbacer, L., Zaid, A. (2021). Acute and repeated dose 60-day oral toxicity assessment of chemically characterized Berberis hispanica Boiss. & Reut in Wistar rats. Chemistry & Biodiversity, 18(5), e0057. https://doi.org/10.1515/chem-2021-0057
−
Falleh, H., Ksouri, R., Chaieb, K., Karray-Bouraoui, N., Trabelsi, N., Boulaaba, M., Abdelly, C. (2008). Phenolic composition of Cynara cardunculus L. organs, and their biological activities. Comptes Rendus Biologies, 331(5), 372-379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2008.02.008
−
Fawzi, S., Djemel, S., Amira, T. (2019). Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils of Algerian Medicinal Plants. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 31(4), 296-304. https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.2019.1616434
−
Ibn al-Baytâr, Kitâb al-Gâmï li-mufradât al-adwiya wa-l-agdiya. )1240-1248( http://www.al-mostafa.com
−
Ibn Hamadouche El-Djazairi, A. (18e siècle). Révéler les symboles dans l'explication des herbes ( كشف الرموز
في بيان الأعشاب ).
−
Imanshahidi, M., Hosseinzadeh, H. (2008). Pharmacological and therapeutic effects of Berberis vulgaris and its active constituent, berberine. Phytotherapy Research, 22(8), 999-1012. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2399
−
Li, H., Abdullah, A., Yang, H., Guo, H., Yuan, Y., Ahmed, I., Li, G., Wang, Y., Chang, Y., & Tian, X. (2025). Chloroplast genome evolution of Berberis (Berberidaceae): Implications for phylogeny and metabarcoding. Gene, 933, 148959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2025.148959
−
Maire, R. (1964). Flore de l’Afrique du Nord (Vol. 11). Édition Paul Lechevalier.
−
Meliani, N., El Amine Dib, M., Allali, H., Tabti, B. (2011). Hypoglycaemic effect of Berberis vulgaris L. in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 1(6), 468-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60102-0
−
Miller, L. C., Tainter, M. L. (1944). Estimation of the ED50 and its error by means of logarithmic-probit graph paper. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 57(2), 261-264. https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-57-14776
−
Mokhber-Dezfuli, N., Saeidnia, S., Gohari, A. R., Kurepaz-Mahmoodabadi, M. (2014). Phytochemistry and pharmacology of Berberis species. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 8(16), 8. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.125517OECD. (2001).
−
OECD guideline for testing of chemicals: Acute oral toxicity – Acute toxic class method (No. 423).
−
Parlamarchulk, A. S., Bondarenko, V. E., Grazhevich, V. Y., Guletskaya, V. N. (1973). Biochemical composition of B. vulgaris. In Chem Abstr (Vol. 79, p. 134326).
−
Peters, G., Hedwall, P. R. (1963). Aristolochic acid intoxication: A new type of impairment of urinary concentrating ability. Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie, 145, 334-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9351(63)90091
−
Quezel, P., Santa, S. (1963). La nouvelle flore de l’Algérie (Éd. Paul Lechevalier). Paris: Paul Lechevalier.
−
Shamsa, F., Ahmadiani, A., Khosrokhavar, R. (1999). Antihistaminic and anticholinergic activity of barberry fruit (Berberis vulgaris) in the guinea-pig ileum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 64(2), 161-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-8741(98)00122-6
−
Srivastava, S., Srivastava, M., Misra, A., Pandey, G., Rawat, A. K. S. (2015). A review on biological and chemical diversity in Berberis (Berberidaceae). EXCLI Journal, 14, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2014-399 - Suau, R., Rico, R., Romero, M. L. (1998). Isoquinoline alkaloids from Berberis vulgaris sub. Australis. Phytochemistry, 49(9), 2545-2549. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(98)00359-0
−
Taïbi, K., Ait Abderrahim, L., Ferhat, K., Betta, S., Taïbi, F., Bouraada, F., Boussaid, M. (2020). Ethnopharmacological study of natural products used for traditional cancer therapy in Algeria. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 28(11), 1451-1465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2020.09.011
−
Trabut, L. (1935). Répertoire des noms indigènes des plantes spontanées, cultivées et utilisées dans le nord de l'Afrique (pp. 15). Alger, Paris.
−
Wierzchowski, Z., Budicz, M. (1969). Carotenoids of the berries of Berberis vulgaris. Lublin - Polpnia Section C, 14, 382-405.
−
Yu, C. C., Chung, K. F. (2017). Why Mahonia? Molecular recircumscription of Berberis s.l., with the description of two new genera, Alloberberis and Moranothamnus. Taxon, 66(6), 1371–1392. https://doi.org/10.12705/666.6
−
Yin, J., Gao, Z., Liu, D., Liu, Z., Yeo, J. (2008). Berberine improves glucose metabolism through induction of glycolysis. American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, 294(2), E148–E156. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00211.2007