Efficacy of Berberis aristata Compared to Metformin in Improving Glycemic Control and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Giuseppe Derosa^{1, 2,} , Giovanni Gaudio³, Angela D’Angelo^{1, 2} and Pamela Maffioli¹

¹Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, PAVIA, Italy

²Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, PAVIA, Italy

³Internal Medicine Division, Ospedale Angelo Bellini, Somma Lombardo, VARESE, Italy

Cite this paper:
Giuseppe Derosa, Giovanni Gaudio, Angela D’Angelo and Pamela Maffioli. Efficacy of Berberis aristata Compared to Metformin in Improving Glycemic Control and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. 2020; 8(4):212-215. doi: 10.12691/jfnr-8-4-8

Abstract

Aim: the study was aimed to evaluate the action of a combination of an extract of Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum compared to metformin in a sample of Caucasian type 2 diabetic patients not taking anti-diabetic drugs. Methods: we enrolled 109 type 2 diabetic patients and randomized them to take Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum 588/108 mg or metformin for 6 months, in a double-blind, randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Results: glycated hemoglobin was similarly reduced by both Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum and metformin (p < 0.05 vs baseline, for both treatments), without significant differences between the two treatments. The same trend was recorded for FPG (p < 0.05 vs baseline, for both treatments), and PPG (p < 0.01 vs baseline, for both treatments). Both treatment reduced FPI and HOMA-IR (p < 0.05 vs baseline), without any differences between the two arms. Both Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum and metformin improved TC, LDL-C and Tg compared to baseline (p < 0.05 for both); however, Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum better improved these parameters compared to metformin (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum can be a valid alternative to metformin in patients not well controlled by diet.

Keywords:
Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum glycemic control metformin

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