Hormonal
Berberine activates AMPK and improves insulin sensitivity by inhibiting mitochondrial respiratory complex I, a mechanism shared with metformin and rosiglitazone.
Berberine improves insulin sensitivity by inhibiting mitochondrial complex I, similar to prescription drugs like metformin. However, standard berberine has very poor oral bioavailability, requiring high doses in animal models. A derivative, dihydroberberine, shows significantly improved efficacy and absorption in rodents, suggesting that formulation matters for clinical utility.
Here we show that, similar to metformin and rosiglitazone, BBR activates AMPK via inhibition of respiratory complex I of the mitochondrion.
Why this rating
Strong in vitro and rodent in vivo data, but human clinical trials are referenced only as prior reports without new primary data in this specific study.
Source
Berberine and Its More Biologically Available Derivative, Dihydroberberine, Inhibit Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex I
Nigel Turner et al. · Diabetes · 2008
DOI 10.2337/db07-1552
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