Description

Berberis aristata, the Indian barberry, is a thorny deciduous shrub of the family Berberidaceae, native to the temperate sub-Himalayan forests of Nepal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Bhutan at altitudes between 1,800 and 3,500 metres. The stem wood and root yield a vivid yellow sap rich in berberine — an isoquinoline alkaloid that has attracted substantial phytochemical research interest. Known in Ayurveda as Daruhaldi (yellow turmeric) or Darvi, it is documented in the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita in formulations traditionally associated with eye health, skin conditions, liver function, and fever management. The extract Rasaut — a concentrated aqueous preparation of Berberis root — is traded separately as a valued Ayurvedic and Unani ingredient across the Indian subcontinent.