Randomised clinical trial of Berberis vulgaris root extract on glycemic and lipid parameters in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and has continued to increase worldwide, from 135 million in 1995 to 300 million in the 2025. Nowadays, the use of medicinal plants is increasing worldwide. Among effective medicinal plants, Berberis vulgaris L. (family Berberidaceae) has shown to be capabileof lowering glucose. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of B. vulgaris root extract on blood glucose and lipid profile levels in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of patients with type 2 diabetes. Method The participants were divided randomly to two groups, an intervention and placebo control group. Both groups continued using their current oral hypoglycemic medication in addition to either taking the extract or placebo capsules for 6 weeks. Results Compared to the placebo group, the changes in fasting blood sugar (FBS), fructosamine, fasting insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) were significantly improved for the intervention group (p\u202f Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that B. vulgaris may be regulating the glucose metabolism and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes and has no important side effects.