Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.), which belongs to the Berberidaceae family, is a 1-2 meter tall, shrubby plant.
This article consists of two parts. In the first part, general information about the barberry plant is given. In the second part, which is the part below, information about the health benefits and consumption of the barberry plant is given.
The barberry fruit is bright red-pink and approximately 1 cm long. It is slightly larger than a grain of rice in size. The barberry fruit has a sour taste. However, barberry fruit juice is one of the most delicious fruit juices you can drink on earth.
In different regions of Türkiye, barberry is known by local names such as kadın tuzluğu, karamık, diken üzümü, karamuk, sarıçalı, çobantuzluğu, it tuzluğu, ekşimen, garamık, zibike, çoban ekmeği and tavşan ekmeği.
The barberry plant grows spontaneously in many parts of Europe, Asia, North America and the Northern Anatolia Region of Turkiye. The barberry plant is a bush that sheds its leaves in winter and can grow up to 2 meters.
The leaves of the barberry plant are arranged spirally, singly or in clusters. They are generally light green, short-stalked, oval and leathery, with reddish, spiny and toothed margins.
The flowers appear in compound racemes or corymbs. They have six sepals, six petals, six stamens and one pistil. The berry-like fruits are red-yellow or dark red, about half the length of the leaves, and contain 2–3 seeds. They are borne below short shoots.
Some barberry species grow in shady locations with humus-rich, moist soil, while others also grow well in sunny locations with dry soil.
Many species of barberry are grown as ornamental plants due to their attractive flowers and fruits, and their fruits are a valuable food source for birds.
According to TÜBİVES (Turkish Plants Data Service), the plant grows naturally in İstanbul, Kastamonu, Artvin, Samsun, Tokat, Giresun, Gümüşhane and Bayburt.
Scientific studies on its pharmacological and chemical content and properties are still ongoing and are a subject of research.
Health Benefits of Barberries (Berberis vulgaris L.)
The barberry plant is widely used by local people in traditional treatment practices. For example, the barberry plant is used locally in Turkiye due to its antibacterial, antipyretic, itching, allergy relieving, and rhythm disorder regulating properties. In addition, in interviews with local people who consume barberry in the regions where the barberry plant grows, it is generally stated that it is good for diabetes and blood pressure.
Like many other wild fruits, the barberry fruit is an excellent source of antioxidants. Many scientific studies have reported that its antioxidant activity is relatively high.
In addition, it has a high level of phenolic and anthocyanin compounds. It also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin K, resin, tannin, several triterpenoids, many phytochemicals, more than ten phenolic compounds and more than 30 alkaloids. It contains important alkaloids such as berberine, berbamine, jatrorrhizin, columbamine, berberubin, oxycanthine and palmatine.
It is reported that barberry fruit’s potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content is higher than that of many cultivated plants.
It also contains flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol. Based on this, barberry fruit is a good source of bioactive phytochemicals.
Barberry fruit has many effects such as being anti-allergic, reducing inflammation and edema, being a vasodilator, being antimicrobial, being antioxidant, and being antithrombotic. In addition, it is reported that the phenolic acids in the fruit have the potential to have a protective effect against fatal diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease.
According to the findings of academic studies, barberry fruit has potential for use in treating various conditions, including skin, infectious and heart diseases, and even psychiatric disorders. It is also reported to have potential uses in liver and gallbladder disorders and to produce beneficial results in people with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes.
Its leaves are reported to be used for colds and to have positive effects on urinary tract disorders.
The root and root barks have diarrhea-inducing, intestinal cleansing, diuretic, antipyretic and antiseptic properties. The roots of the barberry plant are known among the public as “amberparis root” and are used by the local people as an appetite stimulant, tonic and antipyretic.
In addition, it is also stated that this plant can be used in the form of a cream for some skin diseases and wounds.
When the fruit, leaves and roots are considered separately, the plant is described as having the following medicinal effects:
• antimicrobial,
• antiemetic,
• antipyretic,
• anti-pruritic,
• antioxidant,
• anti-inflammatory,
• hypotensive,
• antiarrhythmic,
• sedative,
• antinociceptive and
• anticholinergic.
In this context, barberry is described as having potential uses in the treatment of conditions such as:
• cholecystitis,
• jaundice,
• dysentery,
• leishmaniasis (oriental sore),
• malaria,
• gallstones,
• hypertension,
• ischemic heart diseases,
• cardiac arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy,
• diarrhea,
• high fever,
• loss of appetite.
Consumption of Barberry Fruit
Wild plants and fruits are generally known and used by the local people of the region where they are found.
For this reason, many valuable wild fruits remain little known. Because their properties have not been fully characterized, they do not receive enough attention and their potential remains underused.
Barberry has long been used locally and traditionally as a food ingredient or for medicinal purposes. Its roots, root bark, leaves and fruits are put to use in different ways.
Local people state that the leaves of the barberry plant are collected in the spring and the fruits generally ripen at the end of September.
Barberry fruit is consumed in different ways depending on the people living in the region and their eating habits. It has been determined that it is consumed as fruit juice in many areas during winter. However, it has been determined that it is consumed by adding it to various herbal teas rather than pure herbal tea in almost every region.
Barberry fruit is used in the food industry to produce jam, marmalade, dessert, and wine. In addition, the plant’s root, bark, and fruits can be used as tea.
As can be seen, barberry is a plant that has many health benefits, precious components and high nutritional value. The use of this plant should be expanded. For example, it has a high potential to be added to existing fruit teas for enrichment.
Knowledge of the consumption and uses of these wild plants and fruits should be passed on to younger generations. Despite their nutritional value and important potential uses, these fruits remain little known in many parts of Türkiye and do not receive the attention they deserve.
Products such as pulp, nectar, marmalade, tea and fruit extracts can be made from these wild fruits. They can also be used to enrich other fruit and vegetable juices with vitamins and as fillings in cakes and confectionery.
Note: This article is intended solely for general informational purposes. Nutritional needs may vary from person to person. Always consult a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before making any changes to your diet.
References
Karabulut, A. (2018). Bayburt ilinde doğal olarak bulunan Berberis vulgaris L. ve Berberis crataegina DC. yabani meyvelerinin biyokimyasal karakterizasyonu. Yüksek lisans tezi, Bayburt Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Gıda Mühendisliği Ana Bilim Dalı.
Eroğlu, A. Y., Çakır, Ö., Sağdıç, M., & Dertli, E. (2020). Bioactive Characteristics of Wild Berberis vulgaris and Berberis crataegina Fruits. Journal of Chemistry, 2020, 8908301.
Montazerifar, F., Shourestani, S., Hosseini, R., Karajibani, M., Amanat, S., Sedaghat, G., & Fanaei, H. (2023). Effect of Berberis vulgaris fruit powder on visfatin and metabolic profiles in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Herbal Medicine, 38, 100631.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (n.d.). Berberis vulgaris L. Plants of the World Online.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2023). In the News: Berberine.
Özlem Çakır
Ozlem Cakir, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Bayburt University’s Faculty of Engineering, where she works in the Division of Food Sciences within the Department of Food Engineering. She received her B.Sc. in Plant Production from Atatürk University in 2003 and completed both her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Fruit Growing and Breeding at the same university in 2006 and 2012, respectively. Her formally recognised academic specialisation is Fruit Growing and Breeding within the broader field of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
Dr. Cakir has more than twenty years of academic, research, and professional experience in horticulture, fruit science, food processing, and nutrition. From 2010 to 2013, she worked as an agricultural engineer at the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. She subsequently served as Deputy Director of a Research and Application Centre at Bayburt University between 2013 and 2014. Her background enables her to approach fruits and plant-derived foods from both agricultural production and food-processing perspectives.
Her research focuses particularly on cultivated and wild fruits, fruit genetic resources, fruit growing and breeding, biochemical characterisation, phenolic compounds, antioxidants, mineral composition, bioactive plant constituents, extraction processes, drying technologies, and the use of fruit extracts and processing by-products in food systems. Her studies have examined species and genotypes of Berberis, Rosa, Crataegus, Malus, Sorbus, Hippophae, Diospyros, Punica, blackberry, mulberry, loquat, cherry laurel, tea, apricot, grapevine, and other horticultural crops.
Her university profile currently lists 32 peer-reviewed research articles, 20 of which were published in SCI-Expanded-indexed journals. Her work has appeared in journals including Food Chemistry, the Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, Food Science & Nutrition, Sustainability, the Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Scientia Horticulturae, Applied Fruit Science, and the Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization. She has also contributed to two chapters in an international scientific book addressing agricultural resource use and sustainability.
Dr. Cakir has presented or co-authored 47 national and international conference contributions, including 42 international papers or presentations. These studies cover fruit cultivation and breeding, wild fruit biodiversity, antioxidant activity, phenolic profiles, mineral composition, organic agriculture, drying and extraction methods, food-processing technologies, and the use of plant-derived bioactive compounds in food products.
She has participated in eight scientific research projects as a project leader, researcher, or scholarship holder. Her project work has included the characterisation of wild pomegranate and apricot-plum genetic resources; the biochemical and antioxidant properties of wild apple, Berberis, Rosa, and other regional fruits; the optimisation of extraction conditions for aromatic plants; the use of fruit extracts as natural antioxidants in meat products; the application of Berberis fruit in ice cream; and the characterisation of exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria. She has also supervised nine master’s theses, seven of which are recorded as completed, on subjects including wild fruits, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, pectin extraction, food safety systems, nutritional habits, fermentation, and functional food ingredients.
Her teaching experience includes undergraduate and graduate courses in Fruit and Vegetable Processing Technology, Fruit and Vegetable Juice Technology, Beverage Technology, Fruit and Vegetable Drying Technology, Food-Derived Antioxidants, Methods for Determining Antioxidant Activity in Foods, Sensory Evaluation of Foods, Food and Nutrition, Nutrition Principles, Organic Agriculture, Food Packaging, Special Foods Technology, and Industrial Food Waste and By-products.
As an author for Gıda ve Sağlık, Dr. Cakir contributes her expertise in fruit science, wild and cultivated fruits, antioxidants, phenolic compounds, food processing, organic agriculture, and nutrition to the preparation of scientifically grounded and accessible articles for an international readership.