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Antioxidant properties and application information
Published in Roger L. McMullen, Antioxidants and the Skin, 2018
Arbutin is a glycosylated hydroquinone that is found in the leaves of several plant species including the bearberry plant, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. It is used extensively as a skin-whitening agent, which functions as an inhibitor of tyrosinase—resulting in less melanin production by melanocytes.
Liver function and DNA integrity in hepatocytes of rats evaluated after treatments with strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) water leaf extract and arbutin
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2020
Karlo Jurica, Vesna Benković, Sunčana Sikirić, Nevenka Kopjar, Irena Brčić Karačonji
Arbutin is found in various foods, beverages, spices, cosmetic skin-lightening products, and over-the counter drugs. Therefore, general population may be exposed via ingestion of certain foods and herbal products, and via dermal contact with this compound or other consumer products containing arbutin. Among the food items, significant amounts of arbutin are reported in wheat products (1–10 ppm), pears (4–15 ppm), and coffee and tea (0.1 ppm) (Deisinger et al. 1996). Human exposure via food strongly depends on the intake of arbutin-rich food, which varies among different persons. Arbutin content in the Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) (bearberry) leaves is up to 186,000 ppm, in Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. minus (cowberry) 90,000 ppm, and in Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree) 27,000 ppm (USDA 2008). According to a safety survey regarding active ingredients used in cosmetics, the systemic dose of arbutin achieved by the use of arbutin-containing cosmetics (if 2 g of product is applied) is 0.0007 mg/kg b.w./day (Council of Europe 2008). The recommended daily dose of arbutin contained in herbal drugs for adults varies from 200 to 840 mg. However, ingestion of a therapeutic human daily dose, i.e., 420 mg of arbutin results with 11 µg/kg b.w./day of free hydroquinone, which represents its potentially harmful metabolite (Garcia de Arriba et al. 2013).
Effects of a new combination of plant extracts plus d -mannose for the management of uncomplicated recurrent urinary tract infections
Published in Journal of Chemotherapy, 2018
Carlo Genovese, Sergio Davinelli, Katia Mangano, Gianna Tempera, Daria Nicolosi, Salvatore Corsello, Franca Vergalito, Edoardo Tartaglia, Giovanni Scapagnini, Roberto Di Marco
Recently, alternative prophylactic methods to reduce the rate of recurrent UTIs have also included treatments with d-mannose. This sugar has a number of important roles in human metabolism, particularly in the glycosylation of specific proteins. In vitro studies have shown that d-mannose binds to type-1 pili of enteric bacteria, blocking their adhesion to uroepithelial cells. d-mannose also reduces bacteriuria levels in in vivo animal models and lowers the risk of UTIs in women with a history of recurrent cystitis.23–26 As long as thirty years ago, herbs containing the alkaloid berberine were shown to be important as microbial anti-adhesive agents.27,28 However, to date, no clinical trials have examined whether the administration of berberine-containing plants can prevent or alter the course of cystitis. Nevertheless, it has been shown that berberine decreases the expression of fimbriae by E. coli, hence preventing their adhesion to the bladder epithelium. Berberine also blocks the adhesion to the urothelium of Streptococcus pyogenes, and interferes with the lipoteichoic acid complexes that allow the adhesion of streptococcus to fibronectin.27,28 In addition, Arctostaphylos uva ursi (also known as bearberry) extracts are traditionally used in North America as urinary antimicrobial botanicals. The leaves of this small shrub contain high levels of the phenolic glycoside arbutoside, also known as arbutin. The prophylactic effect of an uva-ursi extract standardized to arbutin was evaluated in women with recurrent cystitis. This double-blind, prospective, randomized trial reported that uva-ursi exerts a prophylactic effect on recurrent cystitis at the end of a one-year follow-up period.29 Birch (Betula sp.) is also known for its antimicrobial activity and its extract has been commonly used in the treatment of UTIs to prevent vaginal colonization caused by uropathogens.30,31 Considering the key role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the inhibition of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) invasion, several studies have shown that forskolin, a diterpene isolated from the Asiatic herb Coleus forskohlii, increases intracellular cAMP and expels UPEC from the intracellular reservoir, increasing the susceptibility of bacteria to immune responses.32,33