BEARBERRY (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.)

BEARBERRY (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.)

Synonym — Arbutus uva-ursi L.
Activities (Bearberry) — Algicide (1; MAB); Antibacterial (1; APA; FAD; PIP; PH2); Antiedemic
(1; CAN); Antihepatosis (1; CAN); Antiinflammatory (1; APA; CAN; SHT); Antiseptic (1; BGB;
CAN; PH2; WAM); Antitussive (1; MAB); Antityrosinase (1; PHR); Aquaretic (1; SHT); Astringent
(1; APA; PIP; PH2; WAM); Bitter (f; PED); Candidicide (1; BGB); Cytotoxic (1; CAN); Depurative
(f; DEM); Diuretic (1; APA; CAN; FAD; PH2); Emetic (1; APA); Emmenagogue (f; DEM);
Fungicide (1; BGB); Hemostat (1; BGB; FAD); Intoxicant (f; DEM); Laxative (f; DEM); Litholytic
(1; CRC; FNF; PH2); Molluscicide (1; CAN); Narcotic (f; DEM); Nephroprotective (1; MAB);
Phospholipase-A2-Inhibitor (1; MAB); Tonic (f; DEM); Urinary Antiseptic (1; FAD; PH2; SKY;
WAM); Vulnerary (f; DEM).
Indications (Bearberry) — Acne (f; DEM); Backache (1; CRC; DEM); Bacteria (1; APA; FAD;
PIP; PH2); Bleeding (1; BGB; CRC; FAD); Blennorrhea (1; CRC); Boil (f; DEM); Bronchosis (f;
APA; CRC; FAD); Burn (f; DEM); Cancer (1; CRC; JLH); Candida (1; BGB); Canker (f; DEM);
Catarrh (f; CAN; MAB); Childbirth (f; CRC); Cholecystosis (1; MAB); Cold (f; DEM); Conjunctivosis
(f; DEM); Constipation (f; DEM); Cough (1; MAB); Cystosis (1; APA; FAD; WAM);
Dandruff (f; DEM); Dermatosis (1; WAM); Diabetes (f; CRC; MAB); Diarrhea (1; APA; FAD;
WAM); Dropsy (f; BGB); Dysentery (f; CRC; MAB); Dysmenorrhea (1; CRC); Dysuria (1; CAN;
CRC; MAB); Enuresis (f; MAB; PED; WAM); Fever (1; CRC); Fracture (f; DEM); Fungus (1;
BGB); Gallstone (1; CRC); Gingivosis (f; DEM); Gleet (f; CRC); Gonorrhea (f; FAD; MAB); Gout
(1; CRC); Hematuria (f; BGB; MAB); Hemorrhoid (1; CRC; WAM); Hepatosis (1; CAN; CRC);
Hyperpigmentation (f; MAB); Incontinence (1; CRC); Infection (1; APA; BGB; FAD; PIP); Inflammation
(1; APA; BGB; CAN; MAB; PH2; SHT); Itch (1; WAM); Kidney Stone (1; APA; CRC;
X7860196); Leukorrhea (1; MAB); Lithuria (f; CAN); Menorrhagia (1; CRC; MAB); Miscarriage
(f; DEM); Mycosis (1; BGB); Nephrosis (1; APA; FAD; MAB; PED); Obesity (f; APA); Ophthalmia
(f; DEM); Otosis (f; DEM); Pain (1; DEM); Pancreatosis (1; CRC); Pneumonia (1; BGB); Prostatosis
(1; MAB; PED); Pyelitis (1; CAN; CRC; PNC); Pyelonephrosis (1; MAB); Rheumatism
(1; CRC); Splenosis (1; CRC); Sprain (f; DEM); Stone (1; CRC; FAD; FNF; PH2; SHT); Strangury

(f; MAB); Streptococcus (1; FNF); Swelling (1; CAN; MAB); Thirst (f; DEM); Tuberculosis (f;
CRC); Ulcer (1; CRC); Urethrosis (2; APA; KOM; PNC); Uterosis (f; BGB); UTI (2; APA; PHR;
PH2; SHT); Water retention (1; APA; CAN; FAD; PH2); VD (1; MAB); Yeast (1; BGB; FNF).
Dosages (Bearberry) — 10 g leaf (= 400–700 mg arbutin), take only a few days (APA); 10 g dry
leaf in 1 quart cold water (SF); 12 g dry leaf/day (= 400–840 mg arbutin) (MAB); 3–6 g dry leaf
(PED); 4.5 g dry leaf/22 ml alcohol/23 ml water (PED); 1.5–4 g leaf, or in tea, 3 ×/day (CAN);
2–4 tbsp fresh leaf (PED); 3 g herb/150 ml water 1–4 ×/day (PIP); 1.5–4 ml liquid extract (1:1 in
25% ethanol) 3 ×/day (CAN); 1–4 ml concentrated BPC infusion (CAN); 15–30 ml BPC fresh
infusion (CAN); 5 ml tincture 3 ×/day (SKY); 10–17 ml tincture (1:5); 4–8 ml fluid extract (1:2);
2–4 ml liquid leaf extract (PNC); 2–4 ml concentrated leaf infusion (PNC); 1–3 (500 mg) capsules
3 ×/day (NH); 250–500 mg StX (20% arbutin) (SKY).
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Bearberry) — Class 2b, 2d. Contraindicated
in kidney disorders, irritated digestive conditions, acidic urine; not for prolonged used (AHP; AEH;
WAM). Hepatosis, nausea, nephrosis, stomachache, vomiting. Use no more than 1 week, unless
otherwise directed by physician. Not recommended for children, lactating, pregnant, or nephritic
patients (AHP; PH2; SKY). Canadians discourage bearberry as a nonmedicinal ingredient for oral
use (Michols, 1995). Do not take other urine acidifiers, which could lessen antisepsis (KOM). One
gram of the cytotoxic hydroquinone, equivalent to 6–20 g plant material, totally extracted (I
presume) has caused collapse, convulsions, cyanosis, delirium, nausea, shortness of breath, tinnitus,
and vomiting. Five grams has proved fatal. Because of high tannin content, prolonged use of uvaursi
may cause chronic liver impairment. Since large doses are reportedly oxytocic, and in view
of hydroquinone’s toxicity, “the use of uva-ursi during pregnancy and lactation is best avoided,”
but in the last paragraph on page 259, the hydroquinone concentrations “provided by ingestion of
therapeutic doses of uva-ursi are not thought to represent a risk to human health” (CAN).
Extracts (Bearberry) — Aqueous and methanol extracts molluscicidal at 50 ppm. Antiseptic
(bactericidal) activity of arbutin, at least on urinary-tract bacteria, depends on beta-glucosidase
activity of the microbe, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Streptococcus being highest, Bacillus,
Mycobacterium, Shigella, and Staphylococcus apparently intermediate, with Escherichia being
lowest. Arbutin is absorbed from the GI tract virtually unchanged. During renal excretion, it is
hydrolyzed to the active principle, hydroquinone, which exerts an antiseptic and astringent action
on the urinary mucous membranes. The crude extract is reportedly more effective than isolated
arbutin, due to other chemicals that may also yield hydroquinone. Gallic acid in the crude extract
may prevent beta-glucosidase cleavage of arbutin in the GI tract before absorption, thereby
delivering more hydroquinone in renal excretion (CAN). Methanol extract (50%) inhibits tyrosinase.
This could also inhibit the formation of melanin from DOPA (KOM). LD50 2% hydroquinone
= 320–550 mg/kg orl (MAB); Arbutin = codeine as antitussive and stronger than the
non-narcotic dropropizine (MAB).

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