Objective To systematically analyze the global patent landscape of berberine and its major derivatives, including berberine hydrochloride, dihydroberberine, and tetrahydroberberine, to identify technological development trends and research hotspots and provide references for innovative drug development, strategic patent layout, and the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. Methods Based on global patent databases, patents related to berberine and its derivatives were retrieved and expanded by patent families. Keyword extraction and clustering analysis were applied to analyze diversified technological themes, application areas, and geographical distributions of different categories of berberine-related patent families. Results A total of 1 155 berberine, 494 berberine hydrochloride, and 65 dihydroberberine or tetrahydroberberine patent families were identified. China was the primary market for research and application. Patents mainly focused on pharmaceutical preparations and covered multiple indications, including metabolic syndrome, liver diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Conclusion Technological innovation in berberine and its derivatives remains active, with research hotspots concentrated on formulation optimization, expansion of therapeutic indications, and improvement of safety. Some enterprises have actively deployed patents in cocrystals, liposomes, nanoformulations, and compound preparations, indicating a continuous expansion from traditional active components of Chinese medicine toward modern pharmaceutical technologies and international applications.

berberine  /  berberine hydrochloride  /  dihydroberberine  /  berberine derivatives  /  patent analysis