The effect of barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) on glycemic indices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Zahra Safari; Amirhosein Farrokhzad; Abed Ghavami; Abdulmnannan Fadel; Amir Hadi; Sahar Rafiee; Amin Mokari-Yamchi; Gholamreza Askari

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102414

The effect of barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) on glycemic indices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Complement Ther Med. 2020 Jun:51:102414. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102414. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Authors

Zahra Safari¹, Amirhosein Farrokhzad², Abed Ghavami¹, Abdulmnannan Fadel³, Amir Hadi⁴, Sahar Rafiee¹, Amin Mokari-Yamchi⁵, Gholamreza Askari⁶

Affiliations

¹ Student Research Committee, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
² Department of Orthopedics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
³ School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
⁴ Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: amirhadi.vnt@gmail.com.
⁵ Student Research Committee, Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁶ Food Security Research Center, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Electronic address: askari@mui.ac.ir.

PMID: 32507431
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102414

Abstract

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) supplementation on glycemic indices in adults.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science from inception up to January 2020, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of barberry supplementation on glycemic markers including fasting blood sugar (FBS) concentrations, insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) percentage. The results of this meta-analysis were reported, based on the random effects model.

Results: In total, 7 studies, comprising 452 participants, were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis revealed that barberry significantly reduces insulin levels (Hedges's: -0.67; 95% CI: -1.31 to -0.03, P = 0.04, I² = 73.3%). However, no considerable changes was observed for FBS levels (WMD: -8.06 mg/dL; 95% CI: -20.46 to 4.33, P = 0.23, I² = 96.1%), HbA1c percentage (WMD: -0.83 %; 95% CI: -2.33 to 0.67, P = 0.27, I² = 88.3%), and HOMA-IR index (WMD: -0.55; 95% CI: -1.60 to 0.50, P = 0.30, I² = 99.4%).

Conclusion: The present study suggests that although barberry supplementation significantly improves insulin levels; however, other glycemic indices might not be affected. However, more high-quality RCTs with longer duration are needed to further clarify the effects of barberry on blood glucose control, especially among patients with diabetes.

Keywords: Barberry; Glycemic markers; Meta-analysis; Systematic review.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Berberis / chemistry*
Blood Glucose / metabolism*
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood
Dietary Supplements*
Glycated Hemoglobin / metabolism*
Humans
Insulin / blood*
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Substances

Blood Glucose
Glycated Hemoglobin A
Insulin
hemoglobin A1c protein, human