Berberine in rheumatoid arthritis: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms in animal models

Berberine (BBR), an alkaloid derivative mostly found in Oregon grapes and barberry shoots, has several medical properties, including anti-microbial, anti-tumorigenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. As such, it is a superior alternative to presently recommended medications. From previous researches, which showed that BBR has anti-arthritic qualities by blocking a number of inflammatory signalling pathways. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that BBR attenuates Beclin-1, which reduces autophagy-mediated survival of mature adipocytes. BBR has also been identified as an AhR inducer and a promoter of Treg differentiation. Berberine has been shown in earlier studies to be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in animal models. The pharmacological effects and possible action pathway of Berberine were evaluated in this study. We looked through three databases—PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar—for pertinent research published from the time the databases were created and August 2024. This risk-of-bias measure was used to evaluate the methodological quality. Utilising RevMan 5.4, the statistical analysis was conducted. There were 12 studies in this research with 175 animals. The findings showed that Berberine lowers the levels of IL-1β, IL-17, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α), paw swelling, and histopathological scores. These connected to the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, and osteoprotective qualities of berberine. Nonetheless, further superior animal research is required to evaluate berberine impact on rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Additionally, more research is needed to validate berberine safety. Considering the significance of the active component, further research is needed to determine the best dose and increase berberine bioavailability.