Barberry

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a popular deciduous garden shrub. It is native to Europe and is widely distributed throughout North America and Western Asia. It is known for it's scarlet red berries that are slightly bitter in taste, 1 cm diameter, and grow in dropping clusters from it's branches.

Barberry has a long history for its use in traditional eastern and western herbalism. The key active components of the barberry root and stem bark are two classes of isoquinoline alkaloids, consisting of protoberberines (berberine, berbamine, jateorrhizine and palmatine) and bisbenzlisoquinolines (oxycanthine). Berberine is the main active chemical of significance in barberry, and is the most extensively studied. Although it is present throughout the entire plant, it is most concentrated in barberry roots, stems, and bark.

Barberry has traditionally been used as a treatment for digestive disorders, skin irritations and lesions. It has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties and has been used in the treatment of kidney infections, respiratory infections and abnormal uterine bleeding.

Immune boost: Adding 20 g/kg of Berberis lycium to your flocks diet may help improve immunity against Newcastle disease (ND) and Infectious bursal disease (IBD).

Liver protection: Studies show that adding 20 g/kg of Berberis lycium to your flock's diet may help improve liver function.

Coccidiosis: Berberine, the main component of barberry showed to be effective at reducing the number of coccidian oocysts shed in the feces of infected chickens. Treated birds showed better weight gain and improved feed conversion, resulting from treatment.

Antimicrobial: The root bark of Berberis lycium is highly effective against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans.