PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS UVA-URSI /779

Steinegger E, Hansel R, Pharmakognosie, 5. Aufl., Springer

Verlag Heidelberg 1992.

Usnea species

See Usnea

Utricularia vulgaris

See Bladderwort

Uva-Ursi

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

TRADE NAMES

Uva-Ursi (available from numerous manufacturers). Uva-

Ursi Leaf, Uva Ursi Leaves, Standardized Uva-Ursi Extract

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts of the plant are the

dried leaves and preparations of the fresh leaves.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers are on 3 to 12 short, hanging

stalks, where they are in clusters at equal length and distance

on the terminal end of the stalks. The pedicle has 2 small.

ciliate, oval-shaped leaves at the base with the subtending

flower clusters. The calyx is 1 mm long, palmate and has 5

membranous tips. The corolla (fused petals of the inner

whorl) is ovoid to jug-shaped, white or reddish with a red

border, 5 to 6 mm long with 5 short tips rolled backward.

The 10 stamens are half in length as the corolla tube. The

filaments are heavily thickened at the base. The crimson

anthers have porous openings and a long whip-like, curling

appendage. The ovaries are 5- to 7-valved, and the style is

longer than the stamens. The fruit is a globular, pea-sized.

scarlet, floury drupe. The fruit has 5 to 7 stone seeds. 4 mm

in length, which are kidney-shaped and also compressed at

the sides.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant is a decumbent (reclining
on the ground with ascending extremities), up to 1.5 m long,
creeping espalier with elastic, red-brown branches. The
leaves are alternate, coriaceous, short-petioled. spatulate-
obovate or wedge-shaped, entire-margined and slightly
revolute. They are 12 to 30 mm long by 4 to 15 mm wide.
glabrous, glossy and evergreen. The underside is distinctly
reticulate, and the midrib and the margins are often downy.

Characteristics: The leaves have a bitter, astringent taste.

They are distinguished from the cranberry by the reticulate

vein structure and non-glandular spots beneath.

Habitat: The plant has spread from the Iberian Peninsula

across Central Europe north to Scandinavia and east to

Siberia. The plant is also found in the Altai mountains, the

Himalayas and North America.

Production: Uva-Ursi (Bearberry) leaves consist of the fresh

or dried leaves of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, which are

gathered in the wild. The arbutin content is highest in

December and January and also when the leaves are dried

rapidly. The main sources are Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzer-

land, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia and Bulgaria.

Not to be Confused With: The leaves are sometimes confused

with the leaves of other Ericaceae, such as Buxus

sempervirens.

Other Names: Arberry, Bearberry, Bear's Grape, Kinnikin-

nick, Mealberry, Mountain Box, Mountain Cranberry, Red-

Berried Trailing Arbutus, Redberry Leaves, Rockbeery,

Sagackhomi, Sandberry, Upland Cranberry, Red-Beery,

Upland Cranbeery, Common Bearberry, Arbutus Uva-Ursi,

Red Bearberry, Kinnickinick

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Hydroquinone glycosides: arbutin (arbutoside, hydroqui-

none-O-beta-D-glucoside, 5-16%), methyl arbutin (O-methyl

hydroquinone-O-beta-D-glycoside, up to 4%), galloyl deriv-

atives of arbutin (0.05%): O-galloyl hydroquinone-O-beta-

D-glucoside (p-galloyl oxyphenyl-O-beta-D-glucoside), 2'-

O- galloyl arbutin, 6'-0-galloyl arbutin, free hydroquinone

(usually under 0.3%) as decomposition product of arbutin,

emerging as the leaves age or during dehydration

Piceoside: (4 - hydroxyacetophenone - O - beta - D - gluco-

pyranoside)

Phenol carboxylic acids: including gallic acid (free 180 mg/

100 g), p-coumaric acid (18.0 mg/100 g), syringic acid (16.8

mg/100 g), salicylic acid (12.0 mg/100 g), p-hydroxybenzoic

acid (9.6 mg/100 g), ferulic acid (6.0 mg/100 g), caffeic acid

(6.0 mg/100 g), lithospermic acid (dimeric caffeic acid)

Tannins (15-20%): gallo tannins including penta-O-galloyl-

beta-D-Glucose and hexa-O-gailoyl-beta-D-glucose; ellagi-

tannins, including corilagin (l-0-galloyl-3, 6-di-O-

hexahydroxydophenol-beta-D-gulcoside); condensed tan-

nins, chiefly proanthocyanidins and their monomerics, in-

cluding cyanidin, delphinidin

Iridoide: monotropein (0.025%)

Flavonoids: flavonol glycosides, including hyperoside (0.8-

1.5%) which is the chief flavonol glycoside, quercitrin-3-