Jatrorrhizine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, is a bioactive metabolite in common medicinal plants, such as Berberis vernae Schneid., Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. and Coptis chinensis Franch. These plants have been used for centuries in traditional medicine for their wide-ranging pharmacological properties. This review emphasizes the latest and comprehensive information on the sources, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicity of jatrorrhizine. Studies on this alkaloid were collected from scientific internet databases, including the Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley Online Library and Europe PMC and CNKI, using a combination of keywords involving “jatrorrhizine”, “sources”, “pharmacology,” “pharmacokinetics,” and “toxicology”. Jatrorrhizine exhibits anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, antiprotozoal, anticancer, anti-obesity and hypolipidemic properties, along with central nervous system activities and other beneficial activity. Studies of jatrorrhizine have laid the foundation for its application to the treatment of various diseases, but some issues still exist. Further investigations might emphasize 1) specific curative mechanisms of jatrorrhizine and clinical utility, 2) application prospect in the treatment of metabolic disorders, 3) comprehensive investigations of the toxicity mechanisms and 4) interactions of jatrorrhizine with other pharmaceuticals and development of derivatives.

药根碱是一种异喹啉生物碱，是常见药用植物中的一种生物活性代谢物，如小檗施耐德，牛头孢（奥利夫。）加涅普。和黄连法兰西。这些植物因其广泛的药理特性而在传统医学中使用了几个世纪。这篇综述强调了关于药根碱的来源、药理学、药代动力学和毒性的最新和全面的信息。关于这种生物碱的研究是从科学互联网数据库中收集的，包括 Web of Science、PubMed、ScienceDirect、Google Scholar、Elsevier、Springer、Wiley Online Library 以及欧洲 PMC 和 CNKI，使用的关键词组合包括“药根碱”、“来源” 、“药理学”、“药代动力学”和“毒理学”。药根碱具有抗糖尿病、抗菌、抗原虫、抗癌、抗肥胖和降血脂的特性，以及中枢神经系统活性和其他有益活性。药根碱的研究为其应用于各种疾病的治疗奠定了基础，但仍存在一些问题。进一步的研究可能会强调1）药根碱的具体治疗机制和临床效用，2）在代谢紊乱治疗中的应用前景，3）毒性机制的综合研究，4）药根碱与其他药物的相互作用和衍生物的开发。