Anti-cancer Herbal Drug Berberine - Sensitive Determination Using Boron-doped Diamond Electrode

Determination of berberine, an isoquinoline plant alkaloid, with antibacterial, antiparasitic, antifungal, hypotensive and antitumoral effects, was proposed by introducing square wave voltammetry on boron-doped diamond electrode. At optimized experimental parameters, in Britton-Robinson buffer solution pH 5 berberine provides 3 oxidation peaks (+0.63; +1.14 and +1.34 V) and one reduction (+0.15 V) ( vs. Ag/AgCl electrode), with good repeatability (relative standard deviation of 2.6% and 1.9% for 8 measurements at 0.5 and 10 mu M concentration level, respectively). Calibration curve was linear in wade linear range from 0.1 to 50 mu M with limit of detection of 0.04 mu M. The proposed procedure was successfully applied for the determination of berberine in seed extract from Argemone mexicana with satisfactory recovery ( 102-102.6%). The developed method may represent a sensitive alternative to highly toxic mercury electrodes, modified electrodes and chromatographic methods.