Berberis darwinii Hook is a species that inhabits southern Chile and Patagonia, used by the Mapuche ethnic group for the treatment of inflammatory processes, febrile states and stomach pain. The purpose of the following study was to evaluate in vitro the properties of the total extract and alkaloids of the root of B. darwinii on cell viability and the translocation of the nuclear factor NF-kB in cell line RAW 264.7. It was observed that the extracts did not negatively affect the viability in the cells and inhibited the translocation of the nuclear factor NF-kB associated with the modulation of inflammation only against the total extract. These results indicate that B. darwinii could inhibit some specific mechanisms of cell defense by modulating the translocation of NF-kB.

KEY WORDS: NF-Kb; Immunofluorescence; RAW 264.7; Flow cytometry.