PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Partes aéreas. 

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Debe usarse sólo en el exterior ya que ataca al bazo se emplea para las quemaduras y contra la eczema. 

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: From Berberis boliviana, Berberis bumeliaefolia, Berberis laurina, and Berberis paucidentata, twenty-one isoquinoline alkaloids were isolated. B. laurina yielded a new compound, berberilaurine [1], a bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinoline with two diarylether bridges in between C-7 to C-5 and C-11 to C-12`;. 

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Uruguay. 

ÚLTIMOS AVANCES EN LA QUÍMICA Y ACTIVIDADES BACTERIOLÓGICAS EN LAS PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants, last advances on chemistry and bacteria activities on the medicinal herbs

1) Berberis laurina Billb. (Thunb.) is relatively rich in berberine but very poor, if not lacking, in hydrastine.  It contains various other alkaloids not identified as yet.  It can be used as a substitute as well as a means of falsification for Hydrastis canadensis.  L.

2) Exts. made from the Brazilian plant Berberis laurina contain 0.84-0.22% hydrastine, comparing favorably with that of ext. of Hydrastis as required by the American pharmacopeia.

1) GONZALEZ, Matías ; LOMBARDO, Atilio ; VALLARINO, Aida. Plantas de la medicina vulgar del Uruguay. Montevideo : Talleres Gráficos, 1937.

2) WEBER, J.-F., et al. Alkaloidal content of four Berberis species. Structure of berberilaurine, a new bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinoline. Journal of Natural Products . 1989, vol.52, nº1, p.81-84.
 
3) JANOT, M. M.; GOUTAREL, R. A falsification of, or a possible substitute for, the rhizome of Hydrastis canadensis L: the root of Berberis laurina Billb. or St. John's root.  Bulletin des Sciences Pharmacologiques . 1941, Vol.48,  p.215-24.
 
4) COSTA, Oswaldo Almeida; LUCAS, Virgilio. Chemico-pharmaceutical study of extracts of Hydrastis and Berberis laurina. Revista de Quimica e Farmacia (Rio de Janeiro) . 1939, vol.4,  p.63-7.