Bearberry ordinary: useful properties, application. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.) Bearberry

Bearberry is a common plant that is very often used in both folk and official medicine. An evergreen shrub in the spring is covered with delicate pink flowers, from which fruits are born. By autumn, the plant is covered with red berries, similar to lingonberries.

Bearberry ordinary: description

This evergreen shrub belongs to the heather family. The stem grows up to one and a half meters, strongly branches and spreads low along the ground, taking root in places. The leaves are dense, leathery with small fluffs, veins are visible from the upper part. It is in them that the main healing power lies. Because of the elongated oval shape and soft surface of the leaves, the common bearberry is called "bear's ear" by the people. In some regions, the name "bear berry" is common. In autumn, in September, the bush is completely strewn with fruits (bright red drupes). The taste of the berries is sour-tart.

Bearberry habitat

In total, more than thirty species of this plant are known, for the most part it grows in the Northern Hemisphere. In our country, only bearberry is found. You can meet her both in the middle and in the northern strip of the European part, in the Far East and in Eastern Siberia. The main habitat is pine forests, larch woodlands, thickets of elfin cedar. Bearberry grows on sandy soils and scree, loves bright places. You can find a plant in mountainous areas.

Useful Components

What are the benefits of bearberry? Leaves contain arbutin glycoside, flavonoids, organic acids. Arbutin has a pronounced diuretic and antiseptic effect. Flavonoids quickly destroy viruses, bacteria, microbes in the body. Ursolic acid is endowed with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and gallic acid is able to prevent the occurrence of various tumors and slow down premature aging. Bearberry leaves also contain tannins that have a beneficial effect on the intestines. When applied externally, hydroquinone has a rejuvenating effect on the skin, brightens it. In addition to all this, bearberry contains quercetin, various micro and macro elements, essential oil, vitamin C.

Procurement of medicinal raw materials

To prepare a plant for the future, you should collect it in the spring, when the bearberry has not yet bloomed, or in the fall, when it is already bearing fruit. With a knife or pruner, you need to cut the shoots along with the leaves from the top three centimeters down. In no case do not uproot the bearberry - this part will not be useful anyway, and the plant will be completely destroyed. Bearberry recovers for a very long time. In the same place, you should not collect raw materials more than once every three years.

It is better to dry shoots with leaves under a canopy or in a ventilated attic, laying them in a thin even layer. Periodically, the raw materials need to be turned over. If the shoots are dried in a dryer, the temperature should not exceed 40-45 degrees. After the leaves have dried, they must be separated from the shoots. To remove excess debris, the raw materials are sieved on a sieve with 5 mm holes. After that, it is packaged in bags and stored in a dark place.

Bearberry: instructions for use

Decoctions, infusions and alcohol tinctures are prepared from dried leaves for medicinal purposes. Let's talk about how to make them.

Decoction

10 grams of dried leaves should be poured with a glass of hot water and boiled for half an hour in a water bath. Then cool at room temperature, squeeze and discard the leaves. Bring the resulting liquid to its original volume by adding warm water.

Use this decoction to eliminate edema. You need to drink it one tablespoon five times a day. Store no more than two days.

Infusion

10 grams of raw materials are poured with very hot water (200 milliliters), heated in a water bath, not boiling. Then cool and filter the infusion of bearberry. The use is most often indicated for cystitis. It is better to drink it half an hour before meals, 50 milliliters 3-4 times a day.

Alcohol tincture

20 grams of dry leaves are poured with 100 milliliters of alcohol. Insist in a dark place for several days. Ready tincture is consumed three times a day, 10-15 drops, washed down with water.

Indications for use

Bearberry, whose medicinal properties have long been proven, is most often used in folk medicine. Although many representatives of official medicine do not dispute the medicinal effect of the plant. Dried bearberry leaves are recommended for heartburn, gastritis. The decoction relieves swelling, stops uterine bleeding, normalizes cardiac activity, and facilitates the course of tuberculosis. They also wash festering wounds. Bearberry is an indispensable remedy for diathesis in children - the infusion is added to the bath for bathing. The plant is also used for diseases of the nervous system, insomnia, and for the treatment of malignant tumors.

Most often, leaves are used as raw materials, but flowers can also be used - they will help with conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and heart disease. The plant helps to cure alcoholism. With withdrawal syndrome (easier - with a hangover), an infusion of it becomes the first assistant - it helps to remove all poisons from the body, neutralizing their effect.

Like the upland uterus (medicinal herb), bearberry is used in gynecology. Decoctions of the leaves in the form of douching are used for leucorrhea, contraction of the myometrium. According to historical information, bearberry was one of the first to be used to combat venereal diseases both in Russia and in Northern Europe.

Multiple Recipes

With cystitis

An infusion is prepared from the leaves of the plant: pour two teaspoons of raw materials into 250 ml of hot water. Insist for a day. Drink 3 times a day, 200 ml in a warm form.

Bearberry is also used as part of the collection: combine 20 g of dry leaves with 20 g of hernia, 5 g of parsley and 5 g of celandine. Pour the collection of 250 ml of boiling water, leave for an hour. Drink three times a day, 70 ml.

Important! In the treatment of cystitis, bearberry gives a therapeutic effect only when the urine reaction is alkaline. The thing is that methylarbutin and arbutin only in this case are able to turn into hydroquinone. So before using bearberry, you need to do a urine test. If the environment is acidic, it should be neutralized by using baking soda.

For insomnia

Prepare the collection: in equal proportions, combine birch leaves, corn stigmas, licorice root, bearberry leaves. One part of the collection must be poured with 20 parts of boiling water. Drink three times a day before meals, 70 ml. At the same time, the collection is an antiseptic and diuretic.

With diarrhea, gastritis

The ground berries of the plant boiled in milk help.

Contraindications

Bearberry in the composition has potent substances, so before using it, it is best to consult with specialists. When self-medicating, if the dosage has been exceeded, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea may occur. Inflammation occurring in the kidneys and urinary tract can also become aggravated.

It is better to use fees containing bearberry leaves at the same time as those plants that have anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. The content of arbutin in this case will be minimal and the effect of biologically active substances will manifest itself faster.

Some experts claim that the use of bearberry decoctions causes irritation of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. So be careful. Do not self-medicate.

In acute kidney disease, you should not even take fees that contain bearberry. There are also contraindications for pregnant women. In no case do not drink decoctions uncontrollably as a diuretic or with cystitis. Bearberry can cause uterine contractions and even cause miscarriage.

• During the treatment of the urinary tract with bearberry leaves, doctors advise excluding protein foods from the diet so that urine does not oxidize. It is better to eat plant foods at this time so that the pH is in the alkaline zone. Before using bearberry medicines, you can take a solution of soda (one teaspoon per glass of water).
• Do not use uncontrolled decoctions, infusions, alcohol tinctures, which contain bearberry. Instructions for use must be strictly observed. So it will be possible to avoid an overdose and the appearance of symptoms in the form of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills and fever.
• Avoid concomitant use of bearberry and preparations that contain alkali or alkaloids.
• Before you undergo a course of treatment, be sure to consult with your doctor, who will set the necessary dosages.

How to determine the authenticity of raw materials

Today, modern pharmacology offers bearberry in almost any pharmacy. There are cases when the consumer buys dried leaves directly from his hands, in the market. There should be no doubt about the authenticity of pharmaceutical raw materials, but when buying medicine from a private trader on the street, you can run into a fake. It happens that because of the similarity of plants, you can confuse bearberry with ordinary lingonberries. Their leaves are somewhat similar. At home, it is quite possible to check the authenticity of raw materials. How? Prepare an infusion of bearberry leaves according to the recipe described above. Throw in a small crystal of iron sulphate. Watch for reactions. If the infusion is indeed made from bearberry, the liquid will immediately turn red and later turn purple. After completion of the reaction, a dark purple precipitate can be observed at the bottom.

Bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Taxon: heather family (Ericaceae)
Other names: bear's ear, borovka, bear's grapes
English: Bear Berry

The Latin name of the plant comes from the Greek words "arctos" - "bear" and "staphylos" - "grapes", and "uva-ursi" - translated from Latin means "bear berry".

Botanical description of bearberry

- a small evergreen shrub with a height of 30 to 50 cm. The stems are recumbent, often spread on the surface of grassy soil, 100-120 cm long, very branched, with ascending flowering branches. Young branches are green or greenish-brown, old ones with reddish-brown, easily peeling bark. The leaves are alternate, leathery, obovate, obtuse, with slightly bent down and slightly thickened solid edges, dark green shiny above, with a network of clearly visible depressed veins, lighter below, matte. The life span of a leaf is 2 years, by the end of the third year they completely die off. Bearberry flowers are white or white-pink, on short pedicels, collected 2-10 in drooping apical racemose inflorescences. Blooms in May-June. The fruit is a spherical red mealy fresh-sweet berry with 5 seeds. The fruits ripen in July-August.

Distribution of bearberry

Bearberry is common in the subalpine and forest-tundra zones of Central and Northern Europe, reaching a latitude of 70 ° in the south. In Southern and Central Europe, it is found in the Alps, the Apennines and the Balkans at an altitude of 1500 to 2900 m above sea level. It is also found in the subalpine and forest-tundra belts in Siberia and in the mountains of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Far East, the northern United States of America (Alaska), Canada, southwestern Greenland and the Aleutian Islands.
It grows mainly on sandy soils and peat bogs, in dry rocky areas, in the mountains, on forest lawns, in sparsely lit coniferous forests, in fires and clearings. Very often, bearberry is found in plant groups with lingonberries and boxwood. In the Far North meets in the lichen tundra. Bearberry is a photophilous plant and weakly competes with other plants. With insufficient soil moisture, the growth of bearberry slows down, the leaves become rough and turn brown, after which the leaf shoots die off. A characteristic feature of bearberry is the presence of endotrophic and exotrophic mycorrhiza, and therefore, for its growth, the presence of mycorrhiza-forming fungi in the soil is necessary. This should be taken into account when introducing bearberry into the culture.

Collection and preparation of medicinal raw materials of bearberry

For the needs of medicine, the leaves of the plant (Folia Uvae-ursi) and shoots (Cormus Uvae-Ursi) are used. Leaves and shoots up to 3 cm long are harvested in spring, before the plant begins to bloom, or at the end of the year, before fruiting. Leaves collected at other times, when dried, become brown in color, which makes the raw material non-standard. Re-harvesting in the same place can be carried out after 3 years. When harvesting raw materials, it is impossible to pull out the entire plant with roots, as this leads to the destruction of thickets. According to eyewitnesses, in places where bearberry leaves were harvested in this way in 1942-1945, its thickets have not recovered to date. The collected raw materials are quickly dried in dryers at 40°C or at normal temperature. After drying, the leaves are cut off or threshed, and the stems are discarded. The raw material is official in Russia, Ukraine and many foreign countries. The main suppliers of raw materials for European pharmaceutical firms and enterprises are Russia and Belarus.
Harvest bearberry should be carefully, because it looks like an ordinary (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.). The elliptical lingonberry has dark green leaves bent down on top and matte on the bottom, berries are juicy, multi-seeded. A characteristic differential sign of lingonberry leaves is the presence of brown dots on the underside.
Given the significant need for raw materials necessary for the production of medicines, in some European countries, in particular in France, Slovakia and Poland, bearberry is widely introduced into the culture. So, in Slovakia, a highly productive variety of bearberry called "Arbuta" was introduced into the culture, which differs from ordinary bearberry in long shoots, a large number of leaves, a high content of arbutin and the ability to reproduce well vegetatively. Some Russian pharmacognostics consider it expedient to use Caucasian bearberry (Arctostaphylos caucasica Lipsch.) instead of bearberry, which grows in the foothills and mountainous areas of the North Caucasus and Western Transcaucasia. However, some botanists consider this plant not a separate species, but a variety of bearberry.

Biologically active substances of bearberry

The main active ingredients of bearberry are phenolic glycosides, the content of which in the leaves is usually 8-16%, can reach 25%: arbutin (arbutoside, or erikolin), methylarbutin, pyroside (6-acetylarbutin), caffeilarbutin (compound of arbutin with caffeic acid). The ratio between arbutin and methylarbutin is different, regardless of the origin of the raw material. It has been established that in autumn the content of arbutin in bearberry leaves is higher than in spring (Parejo I. et al., 2001). Noteworthy is the fact that arbutin accumulates in significant amounts in cold-resistant plants. Due to its membrane-stabilizing properties, it protects cell membranes from destruction under the influence of low temperatures, prolonged dehydration, and other factors. To the greatest extent, the protective effect of arbutin is manifested in relation to membranes that do not have a bispheric structure (Hincha D. K. et al., 1999; Oliver A. E. et al., 1998, 2001).
Under the influence of the enzyme arbutase (phenol glycodase) contained in bearberry leaves, arbutin is cleaved into glucose and free hydroquinone, and methyl arbutin into glucose and hydroquinone monomethyl ester. Up to 1% free hydroquinone was found in the leaves of the plant.
The aerial part of the bearberry contains tannins of the pyrogallic group (30-35%) - ellagitannins and gallotannins, in particular, the biologically active ellagitannin corilagin (Shimizu M. et al., 2001), the hydrolysis of which produces glucose, ellagic and gallic acids.
Bearberry leaves contain organic acids (gallic - up to 6%, ellagic, quinic, protocatechuic, malic and formic), flavonoids (quercetin, isoquercitrin, myricitrin, hyperoside, myricitin), as well as C-benzylated dihydroflavanones uvaretin and isouvaretin, which were later named hamanetin and isohamanetin (Bashmurin A.F., 1951).
Bearberry leaves and roots also contain triterpene compounds. Ursolic acid (0.4-0.8%) and uvaol were found in the leaves of the plant. Uvaol, ursolic acid, α- and β-amirin, oleanolic and betulinic acids, lupeol, as well as steroids - β-sitosterol and stigmasterol have been isolated from bearberry roots (Jahoda L. et al., 1988).
Czech scientists have developed a technology for cultivating bearberry leaf mesophilic cells. It was found that arbutin and other phenolic glycosides do not accumulate in such a culture. The main biologically active substances that are formed during the cultivation of bearberry cells are triterpene compounds - derivatives of oleanolic acid.
Iridoid glucosides monotropein and asperuloside were found in bearberry leaves (Swаtek L. and Komorowski T., 1972; Jahodа’r L. et al., 1978), and unedoside was found in the roots (Jahodа’r L., 1987). The aglycones of bearberry iridoid glucosides are unstable, especially in an acidic environment. Polymeric compounds are formed from them, which cause the leaves of the plant to darken during drying. It has been established that the content of iridoid glucosides depends on the ontogeny phase of plants and their organs. They accumulate in the maximum amount in young tissues during their intensive growth.
In addition, bearberry leaves contain wax, resin, essential oil (0.01%), ascorbic acid (up to 629 mg%), a large amount of iodine (2.1-2.7 mg / kg). As a representative of the heather family, bearberry has the ability to accumulate manganese - up to 2 mg% in terms of absolutely dry matter (LD Musaeva, 1965). It is directly involved in the biosynthesis of biologically active plant compounds, in particular arbutin. Bearberry can also accumulate zinc and copper.

History of application in medicine

Bearberry is an ancient medicinal plant of the northern peoples of Europe. Back in the XII century. it was included in the Old English healing book Meddygon Myddfai. In medieval Armenian medicine, it was used as an astringent for diarrhea and hemoptysis. However, information about the use of bearberry was not found in medieval European herbalists, since it was used mainly by the peoples of Northern Europe.

In folk medicine of the North of Russia and Siberia, bearberry was used for diseases of the bladder, urinary tract and urolithiasis. Bearberry is one of the oldest means of treating venereal diseases in the Middle Ages in Russia. Ancient Russian healers kept the recipe for preparing a cure for gonorrhea and syphilis a secret in monasteries and passed it on only to their closest relatives or descendants. In some areas of the Urals and Siberia, such recipes are preserved to this day.
In Lithuanian folk medicine, bearberry leaves were used for chronic diarrhea, nervous diseases and hypertension. In Lithuania, young bearberry leaves are considered a tonic and blood purifier, well-developed leaves are used as an anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic agent, and flowering shoots are used for heart disease, pemphigus, conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Bearberry fruits are used for gastritis and diarrhea, especially in children.
The first reports on the use of bearberry leaves in scientific and practical medicine appeared in French medical journals in the 1920s. Widely promoted the use of bearberry as an effective diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent for diseases of the kidneys, bladder and prostatitis, the famous French herbalist Leclerc. However, in recent years, in connection with the synthesis of new highly effective diuretics and uroantiseptics, bearberry leaves are not used so often.
Traditional medicine of some foreign countries recommends bearberry, in addition, for diabetes, malaria, pulmonary tuberculosis, malignant tumors, renal and uterine bleeding, digestive disorders, colitis, diarrhea and intestinal atony. Decoctions of bearberry are used to treat purulent wounds with vaginitis, gonorrhea, diathesis and as a means to reduce the myometrium. In Tibetan medicine, bearberry leaves are used for Graves' disease, heartburn, and gastritis. The well-known Ukrainian herbalist V. Nosal recommends using bearberry leaves for bedwetting in children.

Arbutin and its hydrolysis product hydroquinone have antimicrobial properties. They inhibit the growth of common pathogens of urological infections - mycoplasmas Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis (Robertson J. A. and Howard L. A., 1987). Arbutin inhibited the growth of three of the eight strains of Ps. aeruginosa (MIC 128 µg/ml) (Ng T. B., 1996), as well as the production of listeriolysin O, a key virulence factor of Listeria monocytogenes due to the repression of transcription of the corresponding gene (Park S. F., 1994). It has been established that in the concentrations that are achieved in the urine when using bearberry preparations, arbutin has little effect on E. coli, but streptococci are highly sensitive to it. In a comparative analysis of the antimicrobial activity of purified arbutin and an aqueous extract of bearberry leaf, it was found that a number of microorganisms are more sensitive to the complex of biologically active compounds of bearberry. Hydroquinone is active against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus sp., including their antibiotic-resistant strains. It is also characterized by a weak antibacterial effect against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Arbutin glucuronide does not exhibit antimicrobial activity.
Alkaline urine samples from healthy volunteers collected 3 hours after oral administration of arbutin at a dose of 0.8-1.0 g (or bearberry leaf decoction containing an equivalent amount of arbutin) showed pronounced antimicrobial activity against pathogens of urinary tract infections (Frohne D. , 1970; Kedzia, B. etc., 1975). All 74 strains of bacteria tested were susceptible to it - Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Providencia rettgeri, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella sp., Enterobscter sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa. At the same time, inhibition of the growth of Staphylococcus aureus by urine with a physiological pH of 5.5-6.2 was observed in dilutions of 1:41:6 and lasted for 6 hours. The use of arbutin simultaneously with diuramide (an agent for alkalizing urine to pH 7.8-8.2) significantly increased the antimicrobial activity of urine - it manifested itself as much as possible in dilutions of 1:8-1:16 and lasted up to 12 hours. After an 18-hour incubation in alkalized urine, which contained arbutin metabolic products, the complete death of E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a 1000-fold decrease in the number of viable Staphylococcus aureus cells were observed (Kedzia. B. etc., 1975).

Bearberry tannins also have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. The antimicrobial effect of bearberry tannins is based on their ability to form complex compounds with microbial proteins. In the experiment, the antibacterial properties of gallic acid isolated from bearberry leaves were studied. Its activity also depends on the pH of the medium: at pH 8.0, and especially at pH 9.0, it is significantly higher than at pH 7.2. Gallic acid inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 20-71.3 µg/ml), Corynebacterium dyphtheriae (MIC 20-100 µg/ml), Bacillus subtilis (MIC 71.3 µg/ml), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (100 µg/ml) and yeast-like fungi Candida albicans. Among gram-negative bacteria, especially sensitive to gallic acid, Proteus vulgaris (one of the most common causative agents of urological infections), it is also active against E. coli. It does not affect mushrooms, with the exception of mukor. It is important that gallic acid enhances the antibacterial activity of antibiotics (penicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, biomycin, gramicidin). But in the presence of blood, the antibiotic activity of gallic acid drops rapidly and sharply.
The methyl ester of gallic acid (methylgalate) also exhibits antibiotic properties. It is also characterized by tuberculostatic activity. But methyl gallate is less active than gallic acid. The methyl ester of gallic acid also exhibits antiviral properties, in particular, it inhibits the reproduction of the influenza virus.

Recently, Japanese scientists M. Shimizu et al. (2001) it was found that bearberry extract significantly enhances the sensitivity of methicillin-resistant St. aureus (MRSA) to β-lactam antibiotics. The active component of the extract was isolated by column chromatography and gel electrophoresis. Using proton NMR spectral analysis, the structure of this active component was established, and it was identified with the polyphenol corilagin. During the hydrolysis of corilagin, glucose, ellagic and gallic acids are formed. Corilagin has a very weak antimicrobial activity against MRSA (MIC 128 μg / ml). However, at much lower concentrations (16 µg/ml) it significantly reduces the MIC of oxacillin (256-1024 times) and other β-lactam antibiotics (benzylpenicillin - 66-133 times, imipenem - 266-2133, cefmetazole - 128 times). -2133 times) relative to MRSA strains. Corilagin does not significantly affect the degree of resistance of these microorganisms to antibiotics of other groups (erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, fosfomycin, vancomycin, ofloxacin). Under the influence of corilagin, there is no decrease in MIC of β-lactam antibiotics relative to methicillin-sensitive St. aureus 209P. The study of the growth dynamics of the MRSA culture showed that in the presence of oxacillin (5 μg/ml) and corilagin (16 μg/ml) a pronounced bactericidal effect is observed, since the number of viable bacterial cells progressively decreases. The results of further studies were aimed at studying the mechanism of action of corilagin. They indicate that corilagin inhibits the functional activity of PBP2. In addition, it was found that corilagin reduces the MIC of β-lactam antibiotics relative to both β-lactamase-producing and β-lactamase-negative MRSA strains. This may indicate the ability of corilagin to also inhibit the activity of β-lactamase.

A study of corilagin isolated from other plant sources proves its antifungal (Latte K. P. and Kolodziej H., 2000), antiviral (Liu K. C. et al., 1999; Xu H. X. et al., 2000) and antihypertensive (Cheng J. T. et al., 1995) activity.
In experiments on mice and rats, it was confirmed that water and methanol extracts of bearberry leaves inhibit the development of inflammation mediated by immunological mechanisms. They reduce edema with the introduction of carrageenan, as well as with picryl chloride dermatitis and with the development of a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to sheep erythrocytes (type IV immunopathological reactions) (Kubo M., 1990, Matsuda H. et al., 1992). It has been established that such an effect of bearberry extracts is due to the presence of arbutin in them (Matsuda H. et al., 1990, 1991). These drugs exhibit a pronounced therapeutic effect, but when administered prophylactically, they do not affect the intensity of inflammation. In addition, arbutin potentiates the anti-inflammatory effect of prednisolone and indomethacin, while reducing their side effects (it counteracts the decrease in the mass of the thymus and spleen caused by them). In this regard, data that arbutin inhibits the activity of phospholipase A2 due to structural similarity with its known inhibitors are of unconditional interest (Oliver A. E. et al., 1996). Indeed, due to antiphospholipase activity, arbutin can inhibit the release of arachidonic acid from phospholipids of cell membranes and thus counteract the formation of lipid inflammatory mediators - prostaglandins and leukotrienes. A particularly pronounced antiphospholipase effect of arbutin is observed during dehydration. It has been experimentally proven that the phenolic residue of arbutin is incorporated into the lipid bilayer of biomembranes, thus improving their permeability during drying (Oliver A. E. et al., 1998). Thus, due to the membrane-stabilizing effect, arbutin can protect plant cells under dehydration conditions.
In addition, the antioxidant properties of bearberry are associated with arbutin. Bearberry extract inhibits chemiluminescence in the glycine-tryptophan system (Bolshakova I.V. et al., 1998). Arbutin inhibits the peroxidation of linoleic acid and has the ability to neutralize free radicals in cell-free systems in vitro (Hisatomi E. et al., 2000).
In experiments in vivo on white rats, bearberry decoctions exhibit an antihypoxic effect: under their influence, the survival rate of animals under hypoxic conditions increased. This action is associated with the content of hydroquinone in them, which belongs to substances with labile hydrogen and increases the activity of redox reactions. It has the ability to block O-methyltransferase, which helps to increase the period of action of adrenaline. In the experiment, hydroquinone affects metabolic processes, oxygen uptake by tissues, blood levels of glucose, potassium, glutathione, corrects diabetic ketoacidosis, and exhibits a hypertensive effect in experimental shock situations.
It has been established that arbutin inhibits tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells of mice (Akiu S. et al., 1991; Nishimura T., 1995). At the maximum non-cytotoxic concentration (50 μM), arbutin synthesis decreased to 39%. It has been established that in this system, arbutin hydrolysis with the formation of hydroquinone does not occur. When normal human melanocytes were cultured in the presence of non-cytotoxic concentrations of arbutin (100 μg/ml) for 5 days, melanin synthesis decreased by 20%. Arbutin did not affect the activity of dopachrome tautomerase, but inhibited the activity of tyrosinase (IC50 0.1 μM). The results of the Western blot study showed that inhibition of tyrosinase activity occurs at the post-translational level, since the effect of arbutin on the synthesis of mRNA, protein molecules and the molecular weight of TRP-1 and TRP-2 tyrosinases in cells has not been established (Maeda K. and Fukuda M., 1996; Chakraborty A. K. et al., 1998). Based on the study of kinetics, it has been proven that arbutin acts as a competitive inhibitor of tyrosinase, and its action is reversible. Arbutin competes with L-tyrosine in the process of binding the latter to the active site of the enzyme (Maeda K. and Fukuda M., 1996). There is evidence that 50% ethanol extracts of different species of bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, as well as Arctostaphylos patula and Arctostaphylos viscida) inhibit melanin synthesis also by dopachrome autoxidation, exhibit superoxide dismutase-like activity and are able to absorb ultraviolet B (Matsuda H. et al., 1996 ). In a study on volunteers, it was found that arbutin reduced the development of skin pigmentation with ultraviolet irradiation by 43.5% (Choi S. et al., 2002). In this regard, it is proposed to use the bearberry leaf for skin whitening in cosmetology.
There is evidence of antitussive properties of arbutin. In an experiment on cats, when administered intraperitoneally and orally at a dose of 50-100 mg/kg, it suppressed cough caused by nylon fibers (Strapkova A. et al., 1991). In experiments on rabbits, it lowers blood glucose levels. The test for fermentation of arbutin with the formation of acid is an important biochemical feature that is used in microbiological practice in the identification of bacteria and fungi. In particular, it is key in the differentiation of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus (Beighton D. et al., 1991).
The tannins contained in bearberry decoction have an astringent effect on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. Gallic acid exhibits P-vitamin activity.
Ellagic acid contained in bearberry leaves inhibits the development of spontaneous tumors in mice. Benzylated dihydroflavanones uvaretin (hamanetin) and isouvaretin (isohamanetin) from the aerial part of the plant exhibit cytotoxic activity against tumor cells (Bashmurin A.F., 1951).
In homeopathic concentrations, bearberry extract stimulates the chemiluminescence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, is more active than zymosan (Crocnan D. O. et al., 2000).

The choleretic and membrane-stabilizing properties of bearberry leaves extract were revealed (Azhunova T.A. et al., 1987, 1988). An increase in bile secretion by 38% was observed 1 hour after intraduodenal administration of bearberry leaf extract to rats, the duration of the choleretic reaction was 4-5 hours. Against the background of the introduction of the extract into the bile of animals, the concentration of bile acids, cholesterol and bilirubin increased. Means from bearberry also increase the detoxification function of the liver. Oral administration of a dry extract of bearberry (0.5 g/kg for 10 days) to animals with experimental carbon tetrachloride hepatitis was accompanied by normalization of the intensity of bile secretion, improvement of functional indicators of the state of the liver (excretion of bile acids, cholesterol and bilirubin), and an increase in the content of hepatocyte microsomes of cytochrome P- 450 is a key detoxification enzyme in the body. Against the background of the treatment, normalization of liver function occurred already on the 7th day of the experiment, while in animals of the control group - only on the 14th day. At the same time, there was a decrease in the rate of inactivation of the reduced cytochrome P-450 and a decrease in the duration of hexenal sleep, which indicates an improvement in the functional state of the liver monooxygenase system. After all, bearberry extract improves the processes of biotransformation of chemical compounds, which determines its therapeutic and prophylactic effectiveness in liver pathology.

The described hepatoprotective effect is associated primarily with the content of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds in the extract, which have membrane-stabilizing properties and exhibit an induced effect on the monooxygenase system of liver enzymes when it is damaged.

Toxicology and side effects of bearberry

Bearberry preparations have low toxicity. In experiments on mice, it was found that the liquid concentrate of bearberry, when administered orally at doses of 1 and 2 g / kg (based on dry raw materials) for 10 days, does not lead to death and does not cause changes in the behavior of animals (Zaits K. A. and et al., 1974). Experimental studies in vitro (in tests of micronucleus formation in human lymphocytes and on Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100) and in vivo in mice confirm the absence of mutagenic and carcinogenic properties in bearberry extract (Morimoto I. etc., 1982; Yamamoto H. etc., 1982 ; Joksic G. etc., 2003). Arbutin when administered subcutaneously at a dose of up to 100 mg/kg does not affect the reproductive function of male and female mice and the development of offspring. A fetotoxic effect was observed only at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight (Itabashi M. etc., 1988).
Gallic acid contained in bearberry herb is characterized by low toxicity when administered subcutaneously to animals. More toxic is hydroquinone. When applied topically, preparations containing hydroquinone (in the form of a 1% solution or 5% ointment) can cause leukoderma, ochronosis, erythema and allergic dermatitis. In the experiment, it was found that the LD50 of purified hydroquinone for rodents and dogs when administered orally ranges from 300 to 1300 mg/kg of body weight, and for cats it is 42-86 mg/kg. In high doses (more than 1300 mg/kg), hydroquinone causes dysfunction of the central nervous system - the excitability of animals increases, tremors, convulsions, coma develop and death occurs. Nevertheless, cases of poisoning with hydroquinone in the clinic have not been described with the use of bearberry preparations in therapeutic doses.
When taking large doses of bearberry, an exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the urinary system is possible as a result of irritation of the tubular system of the kidneys. In this regard, a decoction of bearberry is undesirable for use in acute kidney disease. In order to avoid side effects with long-term use of bearberry, it is used in the form of fees in combination with other herbal remedies that have anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.
The use of a decoction of bearberry, containing a significant amount of tannins, can cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, which is accompanied by the appearance of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Bearberry preparations irritate the muscles of the uterus, so their use is contraindicated during pregnancy.

Clinical Uses of Bearberry

Antimicrobial, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties of bearberry determine its use in inflammatory processes in the urinary tract and kidney failure with impaired water and mineral metabolism. Infusions and decoctions of bearberry are used for diseases of the bladder, urinary tract, urethra and kidney stones. In the course of treatment, the urinary tract is cleared of bacterial flora and inflammation products, the general urine analysis is normalized, and the phenomena of dysuria disappear (Vogel A., 1979). It is possible to use a bearberry leaf as an antiseptic for the treatment of chronic cystitis and pyelitis only with an alkaline urine reaction, since hydrolytic cleavage of arbutin and methylarbutin does not occur in an acidic environment. Therefore, before using bearberry preparations, it is recommended to determine the pH of the urine, and in case of an acid reaction to a glass of bearberry infusion, 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate should be consumed.
There are reports of successful treatment with preparations of bearberry leaf for diarrhea and hematuria.
Externally, bearberry leaf infusion is used to heal ulcers and purulent wounds.
In cosmetology, bearberry leaf extract and arbutin are effective agents for the local treatment of skin hyperpigmentation (Scarpa A. and Guerci A., 1987).
Bearberry leaf extract (together with extracts of Icelandic moss, yarrow herb, dandelion roots, juniper fruit, cinquefoil rhizomes, horsetail herb, butterbur herb and willow bark) is part of a remedy for bronchial asthma, cough and rhinitis, patented in Finland.
Bearberry with comfrey and nettle is the basis of the anti-periodontal drug "Furin M", created by Bulgarian scientists.

In veterinary medicine, infusions, decoctions and powders from the dried bearberry leaf are used as an antiseptic and diuretic for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, bleeding, digestive disorders in horses and cattle. Local preparations of bearberry are prescribed for ulcers, purulent wounds and mastitis.

Bearberry medicines

Bearberry leaf (Folia Uvae-ursi) - available in packs of 100 g. An infusion and decoction are made from them ex tempore at home. Bearberry leaf infusion (Infusum folii Uvae-ursi) is consumed 1/2-1/3 cup 3-5 times a day 40 minutes after meals as a diuretic for diseases of the kidneys and bladder.

Bearberry leaf decoction (Decoctum folii Uvae-ursi) - use 1 tablespoon 3-5 times a day 40 minutes after eating. With diseases of the kidneys and bladder.

Diuretic collection No. 1 (Species diureticae No. 1) - contains bearberry leaf (3 parts), cornflower flowers (1 part) and licorice root (1 part). Taken as an infusion, 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for diseases of the bladder and urinary tract.

Diuretic collection No. 2 (Species diureticae No. 2) - contains bearberry leaf (2 parts), juniper berries (2 parts) and licorice root (1 part). Apply in the same way as the diuretic collection No. 1.

Bearberry leaf tincture is part of the multicomponent drug Salusan (Salushaus, Germany), which is used for coronary circulation disorders, atherosclerosis, age-related changes in the heart. Consume 1 scoop (20 ml) during the day and 1-2 scoops at bedtime.

Application in industry

Decoctions of the aerial part of the bearberry are used for tanning and dyeing soft leather, fur, and woolen yarn. Hydroquinone can be obtained from bearberry leaves.
In ancient times, peasants in famine years pounded flour from dry bearberry berries, from which they baked bread. Bearberry flour was added to wheat or rye dough, which gave the bread a pleasant fruity taste and smell.

(bearberry, bear's berry, bear's ear, bear's grapes, tormentor) is a creeping evergreen shrub from the Heather family, very similar to lingonberries. It grows in Siberia, the Caucasus, the Far East, and in some places also occurs in the sandy tundra. Distributed in North America, Northern Europe. It is also found in Central and Southern Europe: in the Alps, the Apennines and the Balkans.

Prefers dry pine forests, deciduous forests, birch-larch light forests, clearings, grows well on predominantly sandy soil, with sufficient access to sunlight. Well populates clearings and burnt areas, grows on seaside rocks and gravelly places. With insufficient moisture, it slows down its growth, the leaves become rough and brown, and then the leaf shoots die off altogether. A feature of the plant is the presence of endo- and exotrophic mycorrhiza, therefore, for growth in the soil, there must be mycorrhiza-forming fungi. It does not tolerate competition with other plants and grows in clumps within the range.

The medicinal properties and contraindications of bearberry have been known for a very long time, which allows the plant to be used in official and folk medicine.

Morphological description

The height of the shrub is 5-30 cm. The stems are branched, recumbent, rooting and ascending. The leaves have an oblong obovate shape. At the base they are narrowed into a short petiole, and at the top they are rounded. Above dark green, shiny, with visible veins, below - dull and lighter. The leaves have a solid edge, without edging, arranged alternately: they live for 2 years, and on the 3rd they die and fall off.

A distinctive feature of lingonberries is small brown dots on the back of the leaves. Knowing this feature, plants are easy to identify in nature.

Color from April to June. The inflorescence is a small apical raceme, consisting of several drooping white-pink flowers, on short pedicels. The corolla itself is pitcher-shaped, has a five-pronged limb, inside there are hard hairs. Anthers with appendages are dark red and open with holes at the top. The style is somewhat shorter than the corolla.

The fruit ripens in August-September and is a berry-like drupe of dark red color with a diameter of 0.6-0.8 cm. The pulp is mealy, inside which there are five seeds.

Chemical composition

The main chemically active substances of the plant are phenols and phenol glycosides (their derivatives):

• arbutin (up to 20% in shoots) - in autumn its content is higher;
• methylarbutin;
• n-methoxyphenol;
• hydroquinone;
• 2-O-galloylarbutin;
• piceoside;
• 6-O-galloylarbutin.

Bearberry leaves are also rich in:

• terpenoids (ursulic and oleic acids, uvaol, erythrodiol, lupeol, α- and β-amirins);
• anthocyanins (cyanidin, delphinidin);
• catechins;
• resin;
• wax;
• iodine, zinc, copper and manganese;
• ascorbic acid.

In the shoots of the plant were found:

• flavonoids (isoquercetin, quercetin, myricitrin, myricetin, hyperoside);
• C-benzylated dihydroflavanones (hamanetin and isohamanetin);
• iridoids (monotropein and unedozide);
• phenolcarboxylic acids with derivatives (up to 6% gallic acid, n-coumaric, coffee, lilac, ellagalic, protocatechonic, vanillic acids, methyl gallate, corilagin);
• up to 35% pyrogallic tannins (ellagitannins and gallotannins);
• organic acids (formic, quinic, tack, malic, etc.);
• a small amount of essential oil;
• micro and macro elements.

Collection and preparation

Useful properties of bearberry leaves, as well as its shoots, allow them to be harvested as medicinal raw materials. You can collect the plant in the spring before flowering or at its very beginning, as well as in the fall, when the fruits are fully ripe (before the fruits fall).

At one site, you can collect raw materials no earlier than 5 years after the previous collection. Dry in dryers at T 50-60 ̊C or in ventilated rooms. Stored in linen bags for 5 years.

History and scientific research of bearberry

• The first mention of the medicinal properties of the bear's ear dates back to the 12th century - then it was already used in England: the Old English medical book "Meddygon Myddfai" describes the properties of the plant.
• In medieval medicine of the Armenian peoples, the martyr was used as an astringent for diarrhea and hemoptysis.
• Recognition in Germany as a medicinal plant, bearberry received only in the 18th century.

The German Public Health Service recognizes the bear's eye as one of the effective remedies in the treatment of inflammatory processes of the urinary tract.

• Instructions for the use of bearberry in the scientific and practical medicine of France date back to the 20s. 20th century The well-known herbalist of this country, Leclerc, recommended the plant as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory drug for pathologies of the kidneys, bladder and prostatitis.
• In folk medicine of Siberia and the North of Russia, bearberry was used for pathologies of the urinary system, for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases - syphilis and gonorrhea. Moreover, in a number of areas of Russia, the plant is still used for this purpose.
• In Lithuanian folk medicine, the plant was used in the treatment of chronic diarrhea, hypertension, neurosis, to tone the body, eliminate inflammatory processes.
• Tibetan healers use the leaves of the plant for heartburn, Graves' disease, and gastritis.
• Ukrainian phytotherapeutist Nosal V. advises plant preparations for urinary incontinence at night in children.
• Czech scientists have developed a technology for cultivating bearberry leaves mesophilic cells. However, arbutin and other phenol glycosides do not accumulate in this method, and the active base is represented by triterpene compounds derived from oleanolic acid.
• In 1974, at the Chemical Pharmaceutical Institute of St. Petersburg, a method was developed for obtaining a liquid concentrate from a plant leaf, which contained up to 15% arbutin. In experiments on laboratory rats, it was found that the drug increased diuresis by 37%.
• In vitro experiments have shown that plant leaf extracts inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococ cus mutans and Mycoplasma hominis .
• In 2001, Japanese scientists found that bearberry extract enhances the sensitivity of St. aureus (methicillin-resistant strains) to β-lactam antibiotics.

Pharmacological and medicinal properties

Plant preparations have pronounced antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. The beneficial properties of bearberry are due to the action of chemicals that make up its parts.

• The anti-inflammatory effect is due to the presence of tannins in the plant.
• Antioxidant properties are determined by the presence of gallic acid.
• The antiseptic properties are associated with the local irritating and antimicrobial action of hydroquinone phenol.
• The diuretic effect is also associated with hydroquinone and other phenols: they irritate the kidney tissue, passing through it, and increase urination.
• Antimicrobial properties are associated with the glycoside arbutin, which decomposes into free hydroquinone and glucose under the influence of the enzyme arbutase.
• The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect is determined by ursulic acid.
• Hydroquinone has a rejuvenating, whitening and cleansing effect.

Both in official and in folk medicine, bearberry is mainly used as an antiseptic for diseases of the urinary tract, urethra and bladder, and urolithiasis. The combined action of bearberry leads to the purification of the urinary tract from pathogenic flora and inflammation products.

Also, plant preparations are used as an astringent, for heartburn, diarrhea, gastritis, colitis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for diabetes, gout, tuberculosis, atherosclerosis, rheumatism. Milk decoctions of bearberry fruits are used to treat diarrhea and gastritis.

External use of plant preparations helps to reduce the severity of wrinkles, heal and brighten the skin (with hyperpigmentation), eliminate inflammation and blackheads. So, cream with bearberry Kredo Natur is a unique product that cleans pores from black spots in 7-10 days. Cream from a domestic manufacturer "Clean Line" with bearberry is recommended for people with very dry and sensitive skin, and according to reviews, it really helps with these problems.

Instructions for the use of bearberry in traditional medicine

Decoction of bearberry

It is indicated for chronic gastritis, edema, cystitis, urethritis, chronic nephritis, constipation, uterine bleeding, chronic colitis, diathesis, diabetes. It is used externally for the treatment of poorly healing wounds, abrasions, scratches.

Cooking: 1 tbsp grind dry leaves until a powdery mass is formed, pour 1 cup of boiling water and put it all in a water bath. Warm this mixture for 20 minutes, then insist for another 40 minutes. Strain the resulting product and bring to the original volume with boiled water. Not recommended for patients with sensitive stomachs, as it contains tannins and irritates the mucous membranes.

Take after 30 min. after meals, 50 ml, 3 times a day.

Cold infusion

Effective for cystitis and other inflammatory processes in the urinary system.

Cooking: 10 gr. Combine dry leaves of the plant with 2 cups of cold water.

Infuse for 12 hours, then warm for 5 minutes, without bringing to a boil, strain. This method allows you to extract almost all active ingredients from the leaves, but without tannins. This reduces the likelihood of side effects and allows you to get a mild, but no less effective remedy.

How to drink bearberry: within 30 minutes after meals, 30 ml, 3 times a day. You can store the infusion in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

Alcohol tincture

It is used for sleep disorders, diseases of the nervous system, urolithiasis, alcoholism; rheumatism, cancer and gout, as a pain reliever.

Cooking: 40 gr. Place crushed dry leaves in a glass container, add 250 ml of vodka and leave to infuse in the dark for 2 weeks. Strain the finished tincture.

Take 15 drops q/o 30 minutes after meals 3 times a day.

Extract

It is used in the complex treatment of urinary tract pathologies: pyelonephritis, cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis. In gynecology, it is used for cervicitis and vaginitis. In cosmetology, it is used to improve the appearance and cleanse the skin, accelerate regeneration and rejuvenation, reduce inflammation and heal injuries. Stops hair loss and stimulates the growth of hair follicles.

Cooking: the leaves of the plant are crushed to 3 mm and the extractant (water or alcohol) is prepared. For 1 part of the leaves, take 5 parts of the extractant, which should be divided into 3 portions: 3:1:1. First, 3 parts of the extractant are added to the leaves and incubated for 4 days at room temperature. The extract is drained, the grass is squeezed out and poured with 1 part of the extractant. After 2 days, the process is repeated, but the drug is insisted for 1 day. All obtained extracts are mixed together and stored in a bottle in the refrigerator.

Take 30 minutes before meals, 1 tbsp. up to 5 times a day for 1 month. 4 courses of treatment can be carried out per year. External use for local treatment of problem areas.

Fees with bearberry and recipes for certain diseases

Collection for the treatment of neurosis, insomnia

Mix bear's ear and motherwort herb in equal proportions. Take 2 tbsp. mixture, add 3 cups of water to them and place everything in a saucepan and in a water bath. Cook until liquid has reduced by 1/3. Cool and strain.

Take 50 ml before meals (before each meal).

Collection for the treatment of cystitis

Mix 20 gr. hernia and bearberry, add to the mixture 5 gr. dried parsley and the same amount of celandine. Grind the mixture of plants and add 1 cup of boiling water to it, leave for 60 minutes.

Take 3 times a day, 30 minutes after meals, 50 ml.

diuretic collection

Take bearberry leaves, licorice root and cornflower flowers in a ratio of 3:1:1. To 250 ml of boiling water, add 1 tbsp. this mixture and leave for 20 minutes.

Take 1 tbsp. three times a day.

Recipe for gout

Pour 500 ml of water into a saucepan, put 3 tbsp. dry bearberry leaves, put on fire and wait for the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat and cover, wait until it cools down. Strain.

Take with meals, 2 times a day. Also in this decoction, you can moisten a gauze bandage and apply it on sore spots for 15 minutes. Such treatment is carried out until the pain completely disappears.

Collection from pyelonephritis

Take 10 grams of bearberry leaves, birch, horsetail grass, licorice root and 20 grams of lingonberry leaves, flax seeds and nettle grass. 1 tbsp of this mixture, pour 200 ml of boiling water, heat in a water bath for 15 minutes and leave for 60 minutes.

Take 1/3 cup twice a day.

Collection from edema

Mix birch leaves, corn stigmas and bearberry in equal parts, 100 gr. collection, steam 200 ml of boiling water, leave for a day in a dry, warm place.

Take half a glass 3 times a day, 60 minutes after meals.

Means for the treatment of tuberculosis

2 tbsp mix dry raw materials of the plant with 100 ml of vodka, insist in the dark for 14 days, strain.

Take 10-15 drops after meals, 3 times a day.

Collection for the treatment of rheumatism

In equal proportions, take bearberry leaves, horsetail herb, pods of sowing beans, corn stigmas, fragrant hernia herb and highlander, willow bark, cornflower flowers, drooping birch buds. Grind a mixture of plants, take 1 tbsp. this dare and pour 250 ml of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes and insist for another half an hour, strain.

Drink 100 ml h / o 40 minutes after meals 5 times a day.

Collection for the treatment of atherosclerosis

Take in equal proportions bear's ear, flowers of heart-shaped linden, oregano, peppermint leaves, large plantain, motherwort, horsetail, marsh cudweed and rose hips, chop. 1 tbsp mixture pour boiling water (2 cups) and leave for 40 minutes, squeeze.

Take 1 glass twice a day. 60 minutes after eating.

Pharmaceutical preparations with bearberry

• Uriflorin. Monodrug in the form of tablets based on the leaves of the plant, which is effective in the complex treatment of inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and bladder (cystitis, urethritis).
• Lessons. Syrup, which, in addition to the bear's eye, contains extracts of birch leaves, lingonberries and cranberries. Indicated in the complex therapy of inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract.
• Uriflan. Dietary supplement in the form of capsules containing dry extract of the plant. It is indicated in the treatment of chronic and acute pyelonephritis, acute and chronic cystitis and urethritis, congestive processes in the small pelvis.
• Ursul. Polycomponent dietary supplement for food. It is recommended as a general tonic to support the functions of the urinary system, as well as an additional source of minerals for inflammatory pathologies of the genitourinary tract.
• dry bearberry leaves(or in filter bags) - a phytopreparation used in the complex treatment of inflammation of the urinary tract.

Contraindications to treatment

Bearberry should not be taken with:

• acute failure of kidney function;
• glomerulonephritis;
• children under 12;
• lactating and pregnant women;
• patients with hypersensitivity to the plant.

Bearberry is contraindicated during pregnancy, since the plant has a tonic effect on the muscles of the uterus, which can lead to miscarriage or premature birth. Despite this, some doctors prescribe plant preparations to women in position when inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and edema are detected, considering them safer than chemically synthesized drugs. However, there are limitations for this group of patients, and they should not be neglected.

Side effects and special instructions

In the treatment of plant preparations in large doses, it is possible to exacerbate inflammation in the urinary organs and develop renal symptoms, which is associated with prolonged irritation of the renal tubules.

It is also possible to develop vomiting, nausea, chills, fever and diarrhea.

1. To reduce the likelihood of side effects in the treatment of bearberry, it is recommended to use it in combination with plants (in the form of fees), which have anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.
2. Also, during the period of treatment with plant preparations for pathologies of the urinary tract, protein products should be excluded, since they oxidize urine. The bulk of the diet should be plant foods. To keep the pH of the urine alkaline, before taking bearberry preparations, you need to drink a solution prepared from 1 glass of water and 1 tsp. soda.
3. During treatment, you can not take drugs that contain alkalis and alkaloids.

How to distinguish bearberry from lingonberry

Very often, dry lingonberry raw materials are given out under the guise of bearberry and sold in the markets. There will be no harm from such treatment, however, there will also be benefits in the expected volume.

Even in the pharmacopoeia of the 8th century, a technique for analyzing medicinal raw materials to determine falsification was described. An aqueous infusion is prepared from the tested raw materials in a ratio of 1:50, then a crystal of ferrous sulfate is added to it. If the raw material under test is bearberry, then the solution should first turn red, then turn purple, and after the reaction is completed, a dark purple precipitate should appear. If it is a lingonberry leaf, such a reaction is not observed.

The second method requires the presence of iron-ammonium alum, when a few drops of which are added to the infusion of bearberry, the latter acquires a black-blue color. If the infusion is made from lingonberries, it will turn green-black.

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Taxon: heather family ( Ericaceae)
Other names: bear's ear, borovka, bear's grapes
English: Bear Berry

The Latin name of the plant comes from the Greek words "arctos" - "bear" and " staphylos"- "grapes", and " uva-ursi”- translated from Latin means “bear berry”.

Botanical description of bearberry

Bearberry is a small evergreen shrub with a height of 30 to 50 cm. The stems are recumbent, often spread on the surface of grassy soil, 100-120 cm long, very branched, with ascending flowering branches. Young branches are green or greenish-brown, old ones with reddish-brown, easily peeling bark. The leaves are alternate, leathery, obovate, obtuse, with slightly bent down and slightly thickened solid edges, dark green shiny above, with a network of clearly visible depressed veins, lighter below, matte. The life span of a leaf is 2 years, by the end of the third year they completely die off. Bearberry flowers are white or white-pink, on short pedicels, collected 2-10 in drooping apical racemose inflorescences. Blooms in May-June. The fruit is a spherical red mealy fresh-sweet berry with 5 seeds. The fruits ripen in July-August.

Spreading

Bearberry is common in the subalpine and forest-tundra zones of Central and Northern Europe, reaching a latitude of 70 ° in the south. In Southern and Central Europe, it is found in the Alps, the Apennines and the Balkans at an altitude of 1500 to 2900 m above sea level. It is also found in the subalpine and forest-tundra belts in Siberia and in the mountains of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Far East, the northern United States of America (Alaska), Canada, southwestern Greenland and the Aleutian Islands.
It grows mainly on sandy soils and peat bogs, in dry rocky areas, in the mountains, on forest lawns, in sparsely lit coniferous forests, in fires and clearings. Very often, bearberry is found in plant groups with lingonberries and boxwood. In the Far North meets in the lichen tundra. Bearberry is a photophilous plant and weakly competes with other plants. With insufficient soil moisture, the growth of bearberry slows down, the leaves become rough and turn brown, after which the leaf shoots die off. A characteristic feature of bearberry is the presence of endotrophic and exotrophic mycorrhiza, and therefore, for its growth, the presence of mycorrhiza-forming fungi in the soil is necessary. This should be taken into account when introducing bearberry into the culture.

Collection and preparation of medicinal raw materials of chanterelle

For the needs of medicine use the leaves of the plant ( Folia Uvae-ursi) and escapes ( Сormus Uvae-Ursi). Leaves and shoots up to 3 cm long are harvested in spring, before the plant begins to bloom, or at the end of the year, before fruiting. Leaves collected at other times, when dried, become brown in color, which makes the raw material non-standard. Re-harvesting in the same place can be carried out after 3 years. When harvesting raw materials, it is impossible to pull out the entire plant with roots, as this leads to the destruction of thickets. According to eyewitnesses, in places where bearberry leaves were harvested in this way in 1942-1945, its thickets have not recovered to date. The collected raw materials are quickly dried in dryers at 40°C or at normal temperature. After drying, the leaves are cut off or threshed, and the stems are discarded. The raw material is official in Russia, Ukraine and many foreign countries. The main suppliers of raw materials for European pharmaceutical firms and enterprises are Russia and Belarus.
Bearberry should be prepared carefully, because it is similar to it (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.). The elliptical lingonberry has dark green leaves bent down on top and matte on the bottom, berries are juicy, multi-seeded. A characteristic differential sign of lingonberry leaves is the presence of brown dots on the underside.
Given the significant need for raw materials necessary for the production of medicines, in some European countries, in particular in France, Slovakia and Poland, bearberry is widely introduced into the culture. So, in Slovakia, a highly productive variety of bearberry called "Arbuta" was introduced into the culture, which differs from ordinary bearberry in long shoots, a large number of leaves, a high content of arbutin and the ability to reproduce well vegetatively. Some pharmacognostics of Russia consider it expedient to use instead of bearberry Caucasian bearberry (Arctostaphylos caucasica Lipsch.), which grows in the foothills and mountainous areas of the North Caucasus and Western Transcaucasia. However, some botanists consider this plant not a separate species, but a variety of bearberry.

Biologically active substances of bearberry

History of application in medicine

Bearberry is an ancient medicinal plant of the northern peoples of Europe. Back in the XII century. it was included in the Old English healing book Meddygon Myddfai. In medieval Armenian medicine, it was used as a remedy for diarrhea and hemoptysis. However, information about the use of bearberry was not found in medieval European herbalists, since it was used mainly by the peoples of Northern Europe.
In folk medicine of the North of Russia and Siberia, bearberry was used for diseases of the bladder, urinary tract, and with. Bearberry is one of the oldest means of treating venereal diseases in the Middle Ages in Russia. Ancient Russian healers kept the recipe for preparing a cure for gonorrhea and syphilis a secret in monasteries and passed it on only to their closest relatives or descendants. In some areas of the Urals and Siberia, such recipes are preserved to this day.
In Lithuanian folk medicine, bearberry leaves were used for chronic, nervous diseases and. In Lithuania, young bearberry leaves are considered a tonic and blood purifier, well-developed leaves are used as an anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic agent, and flowering shoots are used for heart disease, pemphigus, conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Bearberry fruits are used for diarrhea, especially in children.
The first reports on the use of bearberry leaves in scientific and practical medicine appeared in French medical journals in the 1920s. Widely promoted the use of bearberry as an effective diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent for diseases of the kidneys, bladder and prostatitis, the famous French herbalist Leclerc. However, in recent years, in connection with the synthesis of new highly effective diuretics and uroantiseptics, bearberry leaves are not used so often.
Traditional medicine of some foreign countries recommends bearberry, in addition, for diabetes, malaria, pulmonary tuberculosis, malignant tumors, renal and uterine bleeding, digestive disorders, colitis, diarrhea and intestinal atony. Decoctions of bearberry are used to treat purulent wounds with vaginitis, gonorrhea, diathesis and as a means to reduce the myometrium. In Tibetan medicine, bearberry leaves are used for Graves' disease and gastritis. The well-known Ukrainian herbalist V. Nosal recommends using bearberry leaves for bedwetting in children.

Pharmacological properties of bearberry

Bearberry tannins also have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. The antimicrobial effect of bearberry tannins is based on their ability to form complex compounds with microbial proteins. In the experiment, the antibacterial properties of gallic acid isolated from bearberry leaves were studied. Its activity also depends on the pH of the medium: at pH 8.0, and especially at pH 9.0, it is significantly higher than at pH 7.2. Gallic acid inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 20-71.3 µg/ml), Corynebacterium dyphtheriae (MIC 20-100 µg/ml), Bacillus subtilis (MIC 71.3 µg/ml), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (100 µg/ml) and yeast-like fungi Candida albicans. Among gram-negative bacteria, especially sensitive to gallic acid, Proteus vulgaris (one of the most common causative agents of urological infections), it is also active against E. coli. It does not affect mushrooms, with the exception of mukor. It is important that gallic acid enhances the antibacterial activity of antibiotics (penicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, biomycin, gramicidin). But in the presence of blood, the antibiotic activity of gallic acid drops rapidly and sharply.
The methyl ester of gallic acid (methylgalate) also exhibits antibiotic properties. It is also characterized by tuberculostatic activity. But methyl gallate is less active than gallic acid. The methyl ester of gallic acid also exhibits antiviral properties, in particular, it inhibits the reproduction of the influenza virus.
Recently, Japanese scientists M. Shimizu et al. (2001) it was found that bearberry extract significantly enhances the sensitivity of methicillin-resistant St. aureus (MRSA) to β-lactam antibiotics. The active component of the extract was isolated by column chromatography and gel electrophoresis. Using proton NMR spectral analysis, the structure of this active component was established, and it was identified with the polyphenol corilagin. During the hydrolysis of corilagin, glucose, ellagic and gallic acids are formed. Corilagin has a very weak antimicrobial activity against MRSA (MIC 128 μg / ml). However, at much lower concentrations (16 µg/ml) it significantly reduces the MIC of oxacillin (256-1024 times) and other β-lactam antibiotics (benzylpenicillin - 66-133 times, imipenem - 266-2133, cefmetazole - 128 times). -2133 times) relative to MRSA strains. Corilagin does not significantly affect the degree of resistance of these microorganisms to antibiotics of other groups (erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, fosfomycin, vancomycin, ofloxacin). Under the influence of corilagin, there is no decrease in MIC of β-lactam antibiotics relative to methicillin-sensitive St. aureus 209P. The study of the growth dynamics of the MRSA culture showed that in the presence of oxacillin (5 μg/ml) and corilagin (16 μg/ml) a pronounced bactericidal effect is observed, since the number of viable bacterial cells progressively decreases. The results of further studies were aimed at studying the mechanism of action of corilagin. They indicate that corilagin inhibits the functional activity of PBP2. In addition, it was found that corilagin reduces the MIC of β-lactam antibiotics relative to both β-lactamase-producing and β-lactamase-negative MRSA strains. This may indicate the ability of corilagin to also inhibit the activity of β-lactamase.
A study of corilagin isolated from other plant sources proves its antifungal ( Latte K. P. and Kolodziej H., 2000), antiviral ( Liu K. C. et al., 1999; Xu H. X. et al., 2000) and antihypertensive ( Cheng J. T. et al., 1995) activity.
In experiments on mice and rats, it was confirmed that water and methanol extracts of bearberry leaves inhibit the development of inflammation mediated by immunological mechanisms. They reduce edema with the introduction of carrageenan, as well as with picryl chloride dermatitis and with the development of a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to sheep erythrocytes (type IV immunopathological reactions) ( Kubo M., 1990, Matsuda H. et al., 1992). It has been established that such an effect of bearberry extracts is due to the presence of arbutin in them ( Matsuda H. et al., 1990, 1991). These drugs exhibit a pronounced therapeutic effect, but when administered prophylactically, they do not affect the intensity of inflammation. In addition, arbutin potentiates the anti-inflammatory effect of prednisolone and indomethacin, while reducing their side effects (it counteracts the decrease in the mass of the thymus and spleen caused by them). In this regard, the data that arbutin inhibits the activity of phospholipase A2 due to its structural similarity with its known inhibitors are of unconditional interest ( Oliver A. E. et al., 1996). Indeed, due to antiphospholipase activity, arbutin can inhibit the release of arachidonic acid from phospholipids of cell membranes and thus counteract the formation of lipid inflammatory mediators - prostaglandins and leukotrienes. A particularly pronounced antiphospholipase effect of arbutin is observed during dehydration. It has been experimentally proven that the phenolic residue of arbutin is incorporated into the lipid bilayer of biomembranes, thus improving their permeability upon drying ( Oliver A. E. et al., 1998). Thus, due to the membrane-stabilizing effect, arbutin can protect plant cells under dehydration conditions.
In addition, arbutin is associated antioxidant properties bearberry. Bearberry extract inhibits chemiluminescence in the glycine-tryptophan system ( Bolshakova I. V. et al., 1998). Arbutin inhibits the peroxidation of linoleic acid and has the ability to neutralize free radicals in cell-free systems in vitro ( Hisatomi E. et al., 2000).
In experiments in vivo on white rats, bearberry decoctions exhibit antihypoxic action: under their influence, the percentage of survival of animals in hypoxic conditions increased. This action is associated with the content of hydroquinone in them, which belongs to substances with labile hydrogen and increases the activity of redox reactions. It has the ability to block O-methyltransferase, which helps to increase the period of action of adrenaline. In the experiment, hydroquinone affects metabolic processes, oxygen uptake by tissues, blood levels of glucose, potassium, glutathione, corrects diabetic ketoacidosis, and exhibits a hypertensive effect in experimental shock situations.
It has been established that arbutin inhibits tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells of mice ( Akiu S. et al., 1991; Nishimura T., 1995). At the maximum non-cytotoxic concentration (50 μM), arbutin synthesis decreased to 39%. It has been established that in this system, arbutin hydrolysis with the formation of hydroquinone does not occur. When normal human melanocytes were cultured in the presence of non-cytotoxic concentrations of arbutin (100 μg/ml) for 5 days, melanin synthesis decreased by 20%. Arbutin did not affect the activity of dopachrome tautomerase, but inhibited the activity of tyrosinase (IC50 0.1 μM). The results of the study by Western blotting demonstrated that the inhibition of tyrosinase activity occurs at the post-translational level, since the effect of arbutin on the synthesis of mRNA, protein molecules and the molecular weight of TRP-1 and TRP-2 tyrosinases in cells has not been established ( Maeda K. and Fukuda M., 1996; Chakraborty A. K. et al., 1998). Based on the study of kinetics, it has been proven that arbutin acts as a competitive inhibitor of tyrosinase, and its action is reversible. Arbutin competes with L-tyrosine in the process of binding the latter to the active site of the enzyme (Maeda K. and Fukuda M., 1996). There is evidence that 50% ethanol extracts of various bearberry species (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, as well as Arctostaphylos patula and Arctostaphylos viscida) inhibit melanin synthesis also by dopachrome autoxidation, exhibit superoxide dismutase-like activity and are able to absorb ultraviolet B ( Matsuda H. et al., 1996). In a study on volunteers, it was found that arbutin reduced the development of skin pigmentation with ultraviolet irradiation by 43.5% (Choi S. et al., 2002). In this regard, it is proposed to use the bearberry leaf for skin whitening in cosmetology.
There are data on antitussive properties arbutin. In an experiment on cats, when administered intraperitoneally and orally at a dose of 50–100 mg/kg, it suppressed cough induced by nylon fibers ( Strapkova A. et al., 1991). In experiments on rabbits, he The test for fermentation of arbutin with the formation of acid is an important biochemical feature that is used in microbiological practice in the identification of bacteria and fungi. In particular, it is key in the differentiation of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus ( Beighton D. et al., 1991).
The tannins contained in bearberry decoction have action on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. Gallic acid exhibits P-vitamin activity.
Ellagic acid contained in bearberry leaves inhibits the development of spontaneous tumors in mice. Benzylated dihydroflavanones uvaretin (hamanetin) and isouvaretin (isohamanetin) from the aerial part of the plant exhibit cytotoxic activity against tumor cells ( Bashmurin A.F., 1951).
In homeopathic concentrations, bearberry extract stimulates the chemiluminescence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, is more active than zymosan ( Crocnan D. O. et al., 2000).

Identified and membrane stabilizing properties bearberry leaf extract ( Azhunova T.A et al., 1987, 1988). An increase in bile secretion by 38% was observed 1 hour after intraduodenal administration of bearberry leaf extract to rats, the duration of the choleretic reaction was 4-5 hours. Against the background of the introduction of the extract into the bile of animals, the concentration of bile acids, cholesterol and bilirubin increased. Means from bearberry also increase the detoxification function of the liver. Oral administration of a dry extract of bearberry (0.5 g/kg for 10 days) to animals with experimental carbon tetrachloride hepatitis was accompanied by normalization of the intensity of bile secretion, improvement of functional indicators of the state of the liver (excretion of bile acids, cholesterol and bilirubin), and an increase in the content of hepatocyte microsomes of cytochrome P- 450 is a key detoxification enzyme in the body. Against the background of the treatment, normalization of liver function occurred already on the 7th day of the experiment, while in animals of the control group - only on the 14th day. At the same time, there was a decrease in the rate of inactivation of the reduced cytochrome P-450 and a decrease in the duration of hexenal sleep, which indicates an improvement in the functional state of the liver monooxygenase system. After all, bearberry extract improves the processes of biotransformation of chemical compounds, which determines its therapeutic and prophylactic effectiveness in liver pathology. The described hepatoprotective effect is associated primarily with the content of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds in the extract, which have membrane-stabilizing properties and exhibit an induced effect on the monooxygenase system of liver enzymes when it is damaged.

Toxicology and side effects of bearberry

Bearberry preparations have low toxicity. In experiments on mice, it was found that the liquid concentrate of bearberry, when administered orally at doses of 1 and 2 g / kg (based on dry raw materials) for 10 days, does not lead to death and does not cause changes in the behavior of animals (Zaits K. A. and et al., 1974). Experimental studies in vitro (in tests of micronucleus formation in human lymphocytes and for Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100) and in vivo in mice confirm the absence of mutagenic and carcinogenic properties in bearberry extract ( Morimoto I. etc., 1982; Yamamoto H. etc., 1982; Joksic G. etc., 2003). Arbutin when administered subcutaneously at a dose of up to 100 mg/kg does not affect the reproductive function of male and female mice and the development of offspring. A fetotoxic effect was observed only at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight (Itabashi M. etc., 1988).
Gallic acid contained in bearberry herb is characterized by low toxicity when administered subcutaneously to animals. More toxic is hydroquinone. When applied topically, preparations containing hydroquinone (in the form of a 1% solution or 5% ointment) can cause leukoderma, ochronosis, erythema and allergic dermatitis. In the experiment, it was found that the LD50 of purified hydroquinone for rodents and dogs when administered orally ranges from 300 to 1300 mg/kg of body weight, and for cats it is 42-86 mg/kg. In high doses (more than 1300 mg/kg), hydroquinone causes dysfunction of the central nervous system - the excitability of animals increases, tremors, convulsions, coma develop and death occurs. Nevertheless, cases of poisoning with hydroquinone in the clinic have not been described with the use of bearberry preparations in therapeutic doses.
When taking large doses of bearberry, an exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the urinary system is possible as a result of irritation of the tubular system of the kidneys. In this regard, a decoction of bearberry is undesirable for use in acute kidney disease. In order to avoid side effects with long-term use of bearberry, it is used in the form of fees in combination with other herbal remedies that have anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.
The use of bearberry decoction, which contains a significant amount of tannins, can cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, which is accompanied by the appearance of nausea, vomiting,. Bearberry preparations irritate the muscles of the uterus, so their use is contraindicated during pregnancy.

Clinical Uses of Bearberry

Antimicrobial, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties of bearberry determine its use in inflammatory processes in the urinary tract and kidney failure with impaired water and mineral metabolism. Infusions and decoctions of bearberry are used for diseases of the bladder, urinary tract, urethra and kidney stones. In the course of treatment, the urinary tract is cleared of bacterial flora and inflammation products, the general analysis of urine is normalized, and the phenomena of dysuria disappear (Vogel A., 1979). It is possible to use a bearberry leaf as an antiseptic for the treatment of chronic cystitis and pyelitis only with an alkaline urine reaction, since hydrolytic cleavage of arbutin and methylarbutin does not occur in an acidic environment. Therefore, before using bearberry preparations, it is recommended to determine the pH of the urine, and in case of an acid reaction to a glass of bearberry infusion, 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate should be consumed.
There are reports of successful treatment with preparations of bearberry leaf for diarrhea and hematuria.
Externally, bearberry leaf infusion is used to heal ulcers and purulent wounds.
In cosmetology, bearberry leaf extract and arbutin are effective agents for the local treatment of skin hyperpigmentation (Scarpa A. and Guerci A., 1987).
Bearberry leaf extract (together with extracts of Iceland moss, grass, dandelion roots, juniper berries, cinquefoil rhizomes, horsetail herb, butterbur herb and willow bark) is part of a remedy for bronchial asthma, cough and rhinitis, patented in Finland.
Bearberry with comfrey and nettle is the basis of the anti-periodontal drug "Furin M", created by Bulgarian scientists.

In veterinary medicine, infusions, decoctions and powders from the dried bearberry leaf are used as an antiseptic and diuretic for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, bleeding, digestive disorders in horses and cattle. Local preparations of bearberry are prescribed for ulcers, purulent wounds and mastitis.

Bearberry medicines

bearberry leaf(Folia Uvae-ursi) - available in packs of 100 g. Of these, ex tempore, infusion and decoction are made at home. Bearberry leaf infusion (Infusum folii Uvae-ursi) is consumed 1/2-1/3 cup 3-5 times a day 40 minutes after meals as a diuretic for diseases of the kidneys and bladder.

Bearberry leaf decoction(Decoctum folii Uvae-ursi) - use 1 tablespoon 3-5 times a day 40 minutes after eating. With diseases of the kidneys and bladder.

Diuretic Collection #1(Species diureticae No. 1) - contains bearberry leaf (3 parts), cornflower flowers (1 part) and licorice root (1 part). Taken as an infusion, 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for diseases of the bladder and urinary tract.

Diuretic Collection #2(Species diureticae No. 2) - contains bearberry leaf (2 parts), juniper berries (2 parts) and licorice root (1 part). Apply in the same way as the diuretic collection No. 1.

Bearberry leaf tincture is part of a multicomponent preparation Salusan(Salushaus, Germany), which is used for coronary circulation disorders, atherosclerosis, age-related changes in the heart. Consume 1 scoop (20 ml) during the day and 1-2 scoops at bedtime.

Application in industry

Decoctions of the aerial part of the bearberry are used for tanning and dyeing soft leather, fur, and woolen yarn. Hydroquinone can be obtained from bearberry leaves.
In ancient times, peasants in famine years pounded flour from dry bearberry berries, from which they baked bread. Bearberry flour was added to wheat or rye dough, which gave the bread a pleasant fruity taste and smell.

R. V. Kutsik, B. M. Zuzuk
Ivano-Frankivsk State Medical Academy

Photos and illustrations

In the article we discuss the bearberry, its botanical description and geography of distribution. You will learn about the medicinal properties and contraindications of bearberry, how to properly collect and dry bearberry, instructions for using bearberry leaves in the treatment of cystitis, edema and gout.

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a low evergreen shrub of the genus Bearberry of the Heather family (Ericaceae).

Common bearberry synonyms are bear's ear, bear's grapes, bear's berry, bear's ears, martyr, drupe-bearberry, bearberry, tolokonko, bearberry, pork berry, pork lingonberry.

What does it look like

Appearance (photo) of bearberry Bearberry is a strongly branched evergreen shrub up to 30 cm high. The stem of the plant is soft, thin and always lies on the ground. A large number of stems on one bush create a low, light cushion.

Bearberry leaves are elongated, dark green above and light green below, similar to cranberry and blueberry leaves. Their color is preserved even in winter. Despite the fact that bearberry is often confused with lingonberries, it can be easily distinguished by its leaves. There are almost always dark dots on the lower surface of lingonberry leaves, but never on the leaves of a bear's eye.

Small pale pink bearberry flowers appear in early May. During the flowering period, a rosette of four to five drooping buds on short pedicels forms on each branch. Flower formula * H (5) L (5) T5 + 5P (5).

In August - September bearberry fruits ripen - bright red berries with a diameter of 6-8 mm. Each berry contains 5 seeds of 1.5-2 mm.

Where does it grow

Bearberry herb is widespread in Siberia, Canada, the Far East and northern Europe, and is found in Central Russia and the USA.

Bear ears grow in deciduous and pine forests, on sandy screes, rocky wastelands, clearings and burnt areas. The plant prefers well-lit and heated glades and does not tolerate competition with other plants.

Leaves and shoots of bearberry

In official and folk medicine, shoots and leaves of bearberry are used as medicinal raw materials.

Chemical composition

The medicinal properties of bearberry are explained by its chemical composition:

• tannins;
• arbutin, ericolin;
• gallic acid;
• hydroquinone;
• flavonoids;
• ursolic acid;
• vitamin C;
• essential oils;
• quercetin;
• micro and macro elements.

Medicinal properties

The main pharmacological action of bearberry leaves:

• diuretic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• antimicrobial.

For this reason, the bear's ear is used in the treatment of acute and chronic cystitis, when blood is found in the urine, to relieve the symptoms of urethritis. Bearberry helps well against kidney stones, with prostatitis, pyelocystitis, pyelitis and pyelonephritis, but only after consultation with a urologist.

Bear ears are also added to fees for the treatment of the following diseases:

• gout, rheumatism;
• diarrhea, gastritis, heartburn;
• clean and festering wounds and ulcers;
• skin hyperpigmentation.

Bearberry for women is effective for painful or absent menstruation, bleeding after childbirth, inflammation of the vagina, atony of the uterus.

How to collect

Bearberry leaves are used for medicinal purposes. If you want to prepare bearberry leaves yourself, the instructions include a few tips for collecting and drying the plant:

1. Collect raw materials either in the spring, before flowering, or in the fall, when the bearberry fruits are fully ripe.
2. Harvest in dry weather before frost sets in.
3. Trim a few shoots from each bush, but not all stems.
4. Spread the shoots in a thin layer on a table in a covered porch, attic, or in a well-ventilated area.
5. Cover with gauze to protect raw materials from insects.
6. After 2-3 weeks, collect the dried shoots and remove the leaves.
7. Store bearberry in cloth bags in a dark place.

How to apply

After reading reviews about bearberry, you can see that bear ears are popular in the treatment of diseases of the kidneys, prostate and bladder, that is, organs that are associated with the removal of fluid from the body. In this case, accompany the use of bearberry leaves with a special diet - mainly plant foods and the absence of protein foods in the diet.

In folk medicine, there are often recipes for decoctions and infusions from bearberry for gout, edema of various origins and a nervous condition. Some herbalists practice bearberry treatment for alcoholism. In this case, the plant acts as a sedative and only complements the main therapy.

Raw materials for the preparation of medicines can be found in any pharmacy. If you bought raw materials on the market, before drinking bearberry, check its authenticity:

1. Mix 5 g of leaves and 250 ml of boiling water.
2. Wait about 1 hour.
3. Add a crystal of iron sulfate to the infusion.
4. A solution of genuine bearberry will turn red and then purple.
5. At the end of the reaction, a dark purple precipitate will form at the bottom of the vessel.

Therapeutic collection for cystitis

Decoctions, infusions, tinctures are made from bearberry. Treatment of bearberry with cystitis is most effective if combined with hernia, celandine and parsley. Such a collection has a positive effect on the inflamed organ and does not poison the body like some antibiotics.

Ingredients:

1. Bearberry ordinary - 20 g.
2. Gryzhnik - 20 g.
3. Dried parsley - 20 g.
4. Celandine - 20 g.
5. Water (boiling water) - 1 cup.

How to cook: Mix the ingredients, grind in a mortar or coffee grinder and add boiling water. Infuse the treatment fee for 60 minutes.

How to use: Take 50 ml 30 minutes after meals 3 times a day.

Result: Bearberry with cystitis has a diuretic, antibacterial and disinfectant effect and quickly relieves pain and inflammation.

Infusion for pyelonephritis

Infusion of bearberry with pyelonephritis is not recommended for use in the acute course of the disease. Irritation of severely inflamed kidneys causes blood flow and increases the inflammatory process. Consult your doctor and he will prescribe another herbal tea with a small amount of bearberry.

Ingredients:

1. Bearberry ordinary - 10 g.
2. Cold water - 2 cups.

How to cook: Pour the raw materials into the dishes, fill with water and leave for 12 hours. Pour the infusion into a saucepan, put on low heat and heat for 5 minutes, without boiling. Remove from heat and strain. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

How to use: Drink infusion 3 times a day, 2 tbsp. 30 minutes after eating.

Result: Bearberry with pyelonephritis increases the amount of urine excreted, relieves inflammation, destroys pathogens and increases urination, so that the work of the kidneys gradually returns to normal.

Decoction for edema

Ingredients:

1. Bearberry ordinary - 25 g.
2. Birch leaves - 25 g.
3. Three-part series - 25 g.
4. Corn stigmas - 25 g.
5. Water (boiling water) - 1 l.

How to cook: Grind the medicinal collection in a mortar, pour into a ceramic or glass container and pour boiling water. Infuse in a dry, warm place for 24 hours, then strain through several layers of cheesecloth.

How to use: Take a decoction of bearberry for swelling ½ cup 1 hour after eating 3 times a day.

Result: Herbal decoction quickly removes excess fluid from tissues and organs and relieves swelling, including diabetes.

Alcohol tincture for prostatitis

Bearberry tincture restores urination in prostatitis and alleviates the condition in both acute and chronic forms of the disease.

Ingredients:

1. Bearberry ordinary - 2 tbsp.
2. Alcohol 40% - 100 ml.

How to cook: Pour bearberry leaves with alcohol, cover and infuse for 2 weeks in a dark room. Strain through cheesecloth or sieve.

How to use: Alcohol tincture of bearberry is usually prescribed in the amount of 10-15 drops three times a day.

Result: Alcohol tincture of bearberry with prostatitis has a powerful diuretic effect, removes inflammation and normalizes the urinary tract. With regular intake of tincture, the symptoms of prostatitis gradually disappear.

Decoction for gout

If you suffer from gouty arthritis, bearberry decoction will relieve pain and swelling.

Ingredients:

1. Bearberry ordinary - 3 tbsp.
2. Water - 500 ml.

How to cook: Pour water into a saucepan, add bearberry leaves and put on high heat. When the liquid boils, reduce the heat and after 25 minutes remove the pan from the stove. Cover the broth with a lid and cool. Strain through cheesecloth.

How to use: Drink the remedy 2 times a day with meals. Also dip a gauze bandage into the decoction and apply a compress to the affected areas for 25 minutes. Continue treatment until the pain in the joints disappears.

Result: Decoction of bearberry normalizes metabolism and removes uric acid, as well as anesthetizes, removes swelling and stops the development of the inflammatory process.

Bearberry and motherwort for nerves

Treatment with bearberry leaves and motherwort herb is useful for depression, insomnia, headaches, irritability and weakened nerves.

Ingredients:

1. Bearberry ordinary - 1 tbsp.
2. Motherwort grass - 1 tbsp.
3. Water - 3 cups

How to cook: Mix motherwort with bearberry, pour into an enamel pan and cover with water. Place the saucepan over a water bath and boil until the liquid is reduced by ⅓. Remove the saucepan from the stove and strain.

How to use: Drink at bedtime 50 ml. If you have a severe nervous condition, drink a decoction of 50 ml 3 times a day before meals.

Result: A mixture of bearberry and motherwort has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, relaxes muscles, relieves spasms and soothes.

Contraindications

Bearberry has the following contraindications:

• glomerulonephritis;
• acute renal failure;
• frequent convulsions;
• intestinal disorders;
• constipation.

Bearberry should not be taken during pregnancy, as it can cause uterine contractions and miscarriage. Also, it is not recommended to drink it during lactation, since the active substances of the leaves can penetrate into breast milk.

Bearberry is prohibited for children under 12 years of age. Bearberry is not recommended for weight loss - in combination with a low-calorie diet, it causes dehydration

With an overdose of bearberry leaves, nausea and chills occur, and body temperature rises. In this case, immediately stop taking the drug.

Classification

The plant Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) belongs to the genus Arctostaphylos of the family Heather (Ericaceae) of the order Ericales of the class Dicotyledones of the department Flowering (Magnoliophyta).

Varieties

Subspecies of bearberry are the following plants:

• Arctostaphylos uva-ursi subsp. coactilis (California, USA).
• Arctostaphylos uva-ursi subsp. uva-ursi (northern America and Eurasia).
• Arctostaphylos uva-ursi subsp. adenotricha (Mountains of Nevada, USA).
• Arctostaphylos uva-ursi subsp. cratericola (Guatemala).

Bearberry infographics

Photo of bearberry, its useful properties and application:
Bearberry infographic

What to remember

1. Another name for bearberry is bear's ear.
2. Bearberry is similar to cranberries. The main difference is that bearberry never has black dots on the underside of the leaves.
3. What are the medicinal properties of bearberry - anti-inflammatory, diuretic, disinfectant, antimicrobial and analgesic.
4. Bearberry leaves are harvested either in spring before flowering, or in autumn after the final ripening of the fruit.
5. Indications for the use of the plant are cystitis, pyelonephritis, edema of various origins, gastrointestinal diseases, gynecological diseases, insomnia.
6. For the treatment of gout, use a decoction of a bear's ear.
7. From prostatitis, bearberry tincture on alcohol 40% helps.

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