Chemical Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Spreng. at the Southern Border of the Geographical Range of the Species in Europe

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 26; no. 24; p. 7692
• Main Authors: Sugier, Piotr, Sęczyk, Łukasz, Sugier, Danuta, Krawczyk, Rafał, Wójcik, Małgorzata, Czarnecka, Joanna, Okoń, Sylwia, Plak, Andrzej
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 20.12.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Anti-inflammatory agents; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial agents; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - chemistry; arbutin; Arctostaphylos - chemistry; Arctostaphylos - growth & development; Arctostaphylos uva-ursi; bearberry; Biological activity; Coniferous forests; Diuretics; Europe; Flavonoids; Flowers & plants; Food; Food industry; heathlands; Herbal medicine; Leaves; Metabolites; natural antioxidants; Pharmaceuticals; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Phytochemicals; pine forests; Plant extracts; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Leaves - growth & development; Plants; Radiation; Europe; Poland; Iberian Peninsula; bearberry; heathlands; pine forests; arbutin; natural antioxidants
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247692

The bearberry ( L. Spreng.) is a source of herbal material-bearberry leaf ( ), which is highly valued and sought by pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. For many years, leaves of this plant have been used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory agent for various diseases of the urogenital tract. The bearberry has also been proposed as a natural antioxidant additive due to the high contents of phenolic compounds in its leaves. The study was focused on characterization of the basic phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts derived from bearberry leaves collected from plants located at the southern border of the geographical range of the species in Europe. The investigated herbal material is characterized by a different chemical profile compared to the chemical profiles of bearberry found in other parts of the continent. Bearberry extracts from plants growing in two different habitat types-heathlands and pine forests showed a wide range of variation, especially in the concentration of hyperoside, corilagin, and methylartutin and the total flavonoid contents. In addition to arbutin, bearberry can be a valuable source of phenolic compounds, which are mainly responsible for the antioxidant properties of extracts. The high content of phenols and high values of antioxidant parameters indicate a high potential of bearberry leaves to be used as a powerful natural source of antioxidants in herbal preparations. Therefore, the populations can be a source of plant material for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.