A patent review of berberine and its derivatives with various pharmacological activities (2016–2020)

Berberine is an important lead compound with great potential for optimization in drug development. However, there is a lack of research related to the biomolecular targets of BBR, which directly restricts the development of berberine in the pharmaceutical field. The problems involved with poor bioavailability and cytotoxicity are also worth considering in the development of berberine-based drugs. Accordingly, the increasing number of patents involving biomolecular targets in BBR's patent applications will be published as its related pharmacological mechanisms are further deciphered.