Common name: Bearberry

Latin name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.

Other names: wild blueberry, wild cherry, cuckoo, bear's foot, uva ursi

Description: Bearberry is an evergreen low shrub of the Pyrene family (Ericaceae). It is found in dry, stony places, forest glades and in coniferous forests. In Bulgaria, it grows in mountains with an altitude of 1500 to 2900 m. The leaves (Folium Arctostaphyli Uvae ursi) are hard, leathery, light to dark green, with short petioles. Blooms from May to June. The flowers are white to pale pink, bell-shaped, with 5 outwardly curled prongs. The fruits are small, red, with six seeds each and ripen in late summer or autumn.

Part of the herb used: leaf (Folium Arctostaphyli Uvae ursi), fruit (Fruit Arctostaphyli Uvae ursi)

Harvest time: The leaves of the bearberry are collected during flowering in May and June and dried in a warm and cool place, without direct sunlight at a temperature of up to 37 degrees. Ripe fruits are harvested in late summer or autumn.

Chemical composition/Contents and properties: Useful substances are mainly contained in the leaves of the bearberry. They are rich in flavonoids and organic acids such as ursolic acid, tannic acid, gallic acid, ellagic, quinic and formic acids, tannins, allantoin, free hydroquinone, hyperoside, quercetin, phenols, glycosides, B vitamins, vitamin C, essential butter. The rich content of hydroquinone in bearberry leaves is the reason for its powerful antibacterial and antifungal action.

Medicinal action and application: The plant has a diuretic, antiseptic, antimycotic, hemostatic, muscle relaxing, tonic effect. Bearberry helps to expel kidney stones, cleans the urinary tract in case of infections, helps with cystitis, inflammation of the kidneys and urethra. The extract and decoctions of the medicinal plant successfully cope with bacteria such as Proteus vulgaris and E. coli, with pelvic inflammatory and sexually transmitted infections such as Urea plasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis, staphylococcal infections, pneumonia, sepsis, streptococci and Candida. Bearberry is a natural diuretic and has a detoxifying effect on the body, increasing urination. Thanks to the arbutin it contains, the plant has a strong melanocytic effect and helps with hyperpigmentation. The fruit (Fruit Arctostaphyli Uvae ursi) of the gooseberry contains many acids, allantoin, which stimulate the formation of new epithelial cells, enhance lymph flow, reduce inflammation and pain and are used in cosmetics to prepare ointments for the treatment of wounds, burns and bruises. Bearberry are also used in veterinary medicine as a raw material for obtaining arbutin.

Possibility to offer at the customer's request:

Vesselino Ltd. offers their customers the plant in the following varieties:

• leaves (Folium Arctostaphyli Uvae ursi) – whole, crushed, cut to a certain size according to the customer's request, ground into herb powder/flour.