Mankind is aware of bearberry’s medicinal properties since ancient time. The people gave bearberry a plenty of names, the most wide spread of which is bear’s ear.
Bearberry belongs to Ericaceae family. It is an ever green creeping shrub. The leaves are small, obovate, leathery, glossy, wintering.The flowers are small, pinky, gathered into droop apical trusses. The berries are red tasteless drupes with few dark red seeds. Plant height is 30-100 cm.
Bearberry leaves contain up to 35% pyrogallic group tannins,arbutin glycoside, hydroquinone, gallic and ellagicacids, flavonoids – hyperoside, miritsitrin, quercetin, formic, malic, quinic, protocatechine, ursolic acid.
Bearberry leaves have diuretic, antibacterial, excellent disinfectant, astringent and anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and soothing properties, they calmingly effect nervous system. Bearberry is effective in genitourinary system disorders.
