Red Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Red Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a species of edible plant in the heather family, native to Eurasia and North America. The Latin name uva ursi is derived from the 17th-century French botanist Michel Adanson, who first described species eaten by bears. Hence the common name bearberry.

The plant has been used in traditional European medicine since the Middle Ages and was included in the British Pharmacopoeia in the 1700s. The leaves are diuretic, antiseptic and astringent and are often used for infections, inflammation, stones and other urinary tract problems.

The main active ingredients are phenolic heterosides with a total content of up to around 6%, the most important of which are arbutin (hydroquinone-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, around 5%), methyl arbutin and picoside. Other constituents include gallotanins (15-20%); flavonoids such as quercetin and myricetin; triterpenes such as ursolic acid, uvaol and amyrin derivatives; iridoid monotropein; organic acids such as malic and quinic acids; allantoin; resins such as urson; essences; and beeswax.

The high phenolic content and high antioxidant parameter values indicate the high potential of plant leaves to be used as a potent source of natural antioxidants in herbal preparations. Therefore, A. uva-ursi populations are a source of plant material for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.

Bearberry has been shown to have various antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Anti-inflammatory activity of bearberry leaves against various chemical inducers such as carrageenan, histamine and prostaglandins (rat paw oedema test) has been documented.