What is Uva Ursi Arctostaphylos uva-ursi?Its History,Phytochemicals,Mode of Action and Magic Superstition?

Phytochemicals and Constituents:Uva Ursi Bearberry.

Uva Ursi Extract INCI Name Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi Extract CAS:84776-10-3 EINECS ELINCS No 283-934-3 Arberry Leaf Rockberry leaf Bearberry leaf extract photo picture image The chief medicinal principle of uva-ursi tea is a glycoside known as arbutin, found in many members of the heather family. (Turner and Czszawinski) Its other elements are methylarbutin, ursolic acid, tannic acid, gallic acid, some essential oil, and resin. (Pierson)

Bearberry contains glycosides, including arbutin and ericolin. 6% tannin, flavonoids and resin.

The chief constituent of Bearberry leaves is a crystallizable glucoside named Arbutin. Other constituents are methyl-arbutin, ericolin (an ill-defined glucoside), ursone (a crystalline substance of resinous character), gallic acid, ellagic acid, a yellow colouring principle resembling quercetin, and probably also myricetin. Tannin is present to the extent of 6 to 7 per cent. On incineration, the leaves yield about 3 per cent. of ash.

The primary active constituent of uva ursi leaves is 5-18% arbutin (hydroquinone beta-glycoside) and lesser amounts of methylarbutin and piceoside. Additional constituents include ericinol, ericolin, ursone, flavinoids, allantoin, tannins (6 -30%, of the gallic and ellagic types), ursolic acid (0.4 to 0.75%), phenolic acids, uvaol, a trace of volatile oil, and resin. Uva ursi also contains quercetin and isoquercetin. Ursolic acid (urson) and isoquercetin are strong diuretics in concentrations of 1:100,000.(1-6)

The leaves of uva ursi contain large quantities of gallic acid. The active principle is the crystallizable glucosid, arbutin, announced by Kawalier, in 1852. Previously, J. C. C. Hughes (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1847, p. 88) attributed the diuretic power of the leaves to a crystallizable substance, which he called ursin. This substance was subsequently shown by Jungmann (ibid., 1871, p. 205) to have been arbutin mixed with some gallic acid. Diluted acids, as well as the ferment emulsin, decompose arbutin into sugar, hydroquinone (C6H6O2) (arctuvin of Kawalier), and methyl-hydroquinone (C6H5[CH3]O2), which substances may occur in the herb together with arbutin. Upon destructive distillation of an extract of uva ursi leaves, hydroquinone can be isolated from the distillate (Uloth, 1859). Other constituents of the leaves are the bitter glucosid ericolin, and its decomposition product ericinol (Rochleder and Schwarz, 1852, and R. Thal, Pharm. Zeitschr. fur Russland, 1883, p. 209; also see Rhododendron, Ledum, etc.); the crystallizable substance urson, insoluble in water (H. Trommsdorff, 1854); tannic and malic acids, a small quantity of volatile oil, fatty matter, wax, gum, sugar, coloring matter, (etc. (Jungmann, loc. cit.). A yellow coloring matter, allied to quercetin, of the formula C15H10O7, was isolated by A. G. Perkin (see Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1898, p. 584). It forms phloroglucin and protocatechuic acid upon fusion with alkali. The ash of the leaves of uva ursi amounts to about 3 per cent. The leaves are free from the poisonous andromedotoxin, which occurs in certain other Ericaceae.

Arbutin (C25H34O14, Hlasiwetz and Habermann, 1883) also occurs in other Ericaceae (see Pyrola, Kalmia, Gaultheria, etc.) From the leaves of uva ursi it is obtained by adding solution of subacetate of lead to a decoction of the leaves, removing the lead from the filtrate by sulphide of hydrogen, and evaporating to crystallization. The crystals are purified by treatment with a mixture of ether (8 parts) and alcohol (1 part), and are subsequently crystallized from water. It forms colorless, long, silky needles of bitter taste, neutral reaction, very hygroscopic, easily soluble in hot water and alcohol, hardly soluble in ether. The aqueous solution produces a blue color with ferric chloride, and does not reduce Fehling's solution, nor is it precipitated by the lead acetates. Acids and emulsin decompose it as stated before. In aqueous solution, rendered alkaline by ammonia or caustic potash, arbutin acquires a deep azure-blue color with phosphomolybdic acid (Jungmann, loc. cit.)

Reference:

1.What is Uva Ursi Arctostaphylos uva-ursi?Its History,Phytochemicals,Mode of Action and Magic Superstition?

last edit date:10th,Mar.2010.

Available Product

Name:Uva Ursi Extract
Serie No:P081
Specifications:10:1.TLC
INCI Name:ARCTOSTAPHYLOS UVA URSI EXTRACT
EINECS/ELINCS No.:283-934-3
CAS:84776-10-3
Chem/IUPAC Name:Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi Extract is an extract of the leaves of the bearberry,Arctostaphylos uva-ursi,Ericaceae

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