Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb Coptis chinensis and other Berberis plants, has a wide range of pharmacological properties. Berberine can be used to treat many diseases, such as cancer and digestive, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Berberine has protective capacities in digestive diseases. It can inhibit toxins and bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori, protect the intestinal epithelial barrier from injury, and ameliorate liver injury. Berberine also inhibits the proliferation of various types of cancer cells and impedes invasion and metastasis. Recent evidence has confirmed that berberine improves the efficacy and safety of chemoradiotherapies. In addition, berberine regulates glycometabolism and lipid metabolism, improves energy expenditure, reduces body weight, and alleviates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Berberine also improves cardiovascular hemodynamics, suppresses ischemic arrhythmias, attenuates the development of atherosclerosis, and reduces hypertension. Berberine shows potent neuroprotective effects, including antioxidative, antiapoptotic, and anti-ischemic. Furthermore, berberine exerts protective effects against other diseases. The mechanisms of its functions have been extensively explored, but much remains to be clarified. This article summarizes the main pharmacological actions of berberine and its mechanisms in cancer and digestive, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases.

中文翻译：

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小ber碱的生物学特性和临床应用。

小ber碱是从中草药黄连和其他小ber植物中分离得到的异喹啉生物碱，具有广泛的药理特性。小ber碱可用于治疗许多疾病，例如癌症和消化，代谢，心血管和神经系统疾病。小ber碱对消化系统疾病具有保护作用。它可以抑制包括幽门螺杆菌在内的毒素和细菌，保护肠上皮屏障免受伤害，并减轻肝脏损伤。小ber碱还抑制各种类型癌细胞的增殖，并阻止其侵袭和转移。最近的证据证实，小ber碱可改善化学放射疗法的功效和安全性。此外，小ber碱可调节糖代谢和脂质代谢，改善能量消耗，减轻体重，并减轻非酒精性脂肪肝疾病。小ber碱还改善心血管血流动力学，抑制缺血性心律失常，减轻动脉粥样硬化的发展，并降低高血压。小ber碱显示有效的神经保护作用，包括抗氧化，抗凋亡和抗缺血。此外，小ber碱对其他疾病具有保护作用。其功能的机制已被广泛探索，但仍有许多地方需要澄清。本文总结了小ber碱在癌症和消化，代谢，心血管和神经系统疾病中的主要药理作用及其机理。小ber碱显示有效的神经保护作用，包括抗氧化，抗凋亡和抗缺血。此外，小ber碱对其他疾病具有保护作用。其功能的机制已被广泛探索，但仍有许多地方需要澄清。本文总结了小ber碱在癌症和消化，代谢，心血管和神经系统疾病中的主要药理作用及其机理。小ber碱显示有效的神经保护作用，包括抗氧化，抗凋亡和抗缺血。此外，小ber碱对其他疾病具有保护作用。其功能的机制已被广泛探索，但仍有许多地方需要澄清。本文总结了小ber碱在癌症和消化，代谢，心血管和神经系统疾病中的主要药理作用及其机理。