Title:A Review on the Neuroprotective Effect of Berberine against Chemotherapy-
induced Cognitive Impairment
Volume: 23
Issue: 9
Author(s): Kuleshwar Sahu, Sukhdev Singh, Bhawna Devi, Charan Singh and Arti Singh*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab, India
Keywords:
Berberine, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, chemobrain, cognitive impairment, neurodegenerative diseases.
Abstract: Chemobrain is one of the major side effects of chemotherapy; despite increased research,
the mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced cognitive changes remain unknown. Several possibly
important candidate mechanisms have been identified and will be studied further in the future.
Chemobrain is characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment, difficulty in language, concentration,
acceleration, and learning. The major characteristic of chemobrain is oxidative stress, mitochondrial
dysfunction, immune dysregulation, hormonal alteration, white matter abnormalities, and
DNA damage. Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from various berberine species.
BBR is a small chemical that easily passes the blood-brain barrier (BBB), making it useful for treating
neurodegenerative diseases. Many studies on the pharmacology of BBR have been reported in the
past. Furthermore, several clinical and experimental research indicates that BBR has a variety of
pharmacological effects. So, in this review, we explore the pathogenesis of chemobrain and the neuroprotective
potential of BBR against chemobrain. We also introduced the therapeutic role of BBR in
various neurodegenerative and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, mental
depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and also some stroke.