Abstract: Berberine, also known as berberinum, is a quaternary ammonium alkaloid isolated from the Coptidis Rhizoma and it is the main component of the coptischinensis. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that berberine has a variety of biological activities such as anti-bacterial, anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and anti-apoptosis. The advances in research in recent years of berberine, as a drug of multi-target treatment, has been evidenced to possess numerous pharmacological activies, including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabete, etc. In view of its advantages, it has a promising application prospect. Research progress on the pharmacological effect and mechanism of berberine was briefly reviewed in this paper to provide reference for the clinical treatment of diseases in the future.