Background. Berberine is a plant metabolite belonging to the isoquinoline alkaloid group with potent biological and pharmacological activity. It is widely present in medicinal plants, especially in the genus Berberis. Currently, berberine is of great interest due to its anticancer activity resulting from the inhibition/stimulation of multiple biochemical pathways.
Results and conclusions. Studies have shown that berberine has also antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antiviral effects. It is a natural drug for clinical applications in various diseases and pathological  conditions, such as atherosclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, PCOS, bacterial and viral infections, etc. Therefore, a growing number of papers on berberine calls for a summary of knowledge and research trends. Many papers focus on new therapeutic strategies based on new formulations or the search for new active derivatives. Berberine activity is very important for the  sensitization and support of anticancer therapy in combination with well-known, but in some cases ineffective, therapeutics. Nowadays, there is a continuous growth and interest in natural  derivatives, therefore, berberine could be a potential source for future discoveries and drug development. However, further research is still needed. Currently, the compound in question is being  evaluated in a number of important clinical trials and is one of the most promising and intensively researched natural substances. The main aim of this review is to summarize the knowledge  concerning berberine, a plant constituent that is not much known, but has a wide range of pharmacological properties. In this work, berberine is discussed in terms of its occurrence, traditional  use, pharmacological and antioxidant properties.