Pharmacological and analytical aspects of bergenin: a concise report

Bergenin is a C-glucoside of 4-O-methyl gallic acid found in the form of colourless crystalline compound. It is isolated from different plants such as Bergenial crassifolia (B. crassifolia), Corylopsis spicata (C. spicata), Caesalpinia digyna (C. digyna), Mallotus japonicus (M. japonicus) and Sacoglottis gabonensis (S. gabonensis) etc. Isolation and characterization of bergenin were confirmed through different spectroscopic methods. Bergenin exhibits antihepatotoxic, antiulcerogenic, anti-HIV, antifungal, hepatoprotective, antiarrhythmic, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and burn wound healing properties. Though different methods have been developed for isolation and characterization of bergenin in different sources, still liquid chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometry is most commonly used techniques. Present review described the pharmacological activity, analytical methods and isolation techniques of bergenin, which give an idea about the nature and activity of bergenin. This review could be helpful to the researcherers in the future for the development of new drugs for the treatment of various types of illness. The data in the present review were collected from the available literature sources.