In vivo hypoglycemic activity of the self-microemulsifying drug delivery system of berberine

Abstract

Berberine (BER) is a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid with many biological activities, isolated from medicinal plants such as Coscinium fenestratum, Phellodendron amurense and Coptis chinensis. Some effects of BER include antibacterial, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, anti-Alzheimer, and especially anti-diabetic activity. The bioavailability of BER is very low, so BER was formulated into a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) to improve the solubility and permeability of BER, using a formula consisting of 19.5% Peceol, 39% Cremophor RH 40, 39% propylene glycol, and 2.5% BER (w/w). This study aimed to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of SMEDDS-BER, thereby confirming that SMEDDS-BER can improve the bioavailability and therapeutic effectiveness of BER. SMEDDS-BER at a dose of 50 mg/kg significantly lowered blood glucose in alloxan-induced diabetic rats compared to glibenclamide and demonstrated a more effective hypoglycemic effect than raw BER.