What serious condition in infants can berberine cause by displacing bilirubin from albumin?
Answer
Kernicterus
The presence of berberine in the circulatory system of newborns is particularly hazardous because of its mechanism of action concerning bilirubin binding. Bilirubin, a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown, is normally transported through the bloodstream bound to albumin, a protein. Berberine possesses the ability to displace this bilirubin from its binding sites on the albumin molecules. This freed, unbound bilirubin can then cross the blood-brain barrier and deposit in the basal ganglia of the brain. This deposition causes irreversible neurological damage, a condition specifically identified as kernicterus, which is why barberry preparations are prohibited for use in babies.
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