Variability of the arbutin content in wild growing populations of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng from Korab Mountain, Western Balkan

Authors

  • Gjoshe Stefkov University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje, Macedonia
  • Ivana Cvetkovikj Karanfilova University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Center for Natural Products (CNP), Skopje
  • Viktorija Labroska The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Meteria Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201203 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
  • Orhidea Krsteska University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje
  • Bujar Qazimi UBT- Higher Education Institution, Faculty of Pharmacy, Prishtina
  • Marija Karapandzova University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje
  • Zyber Gjoni University of Durres, Albania
  • Nikoll Bardhi Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental, Agricultural University, Tirana
  • Svetlana Kulevanova University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20450/mjcce.2021.2095

Keywords:

Arbutin, HPLC, bearberry, technical maturity, R. N. Macedonia, R. Albania

Abstract

Due to the presence of arbutin and hydroquinone in the bearberry plant (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng., Ericaceae), it is widely used as a urinary tract antiseptic and diuretic. The herbal substance consists of whole or cut dried leaves, and it should not contain less than 7.00% of anhydrous arbutin (Ph.Eur.10). The supply of this herbal substance in Balkan countries mainly comes from a wild plant harvested in the mountains. It is a common practice to collect the leaves during the flowering season of the plant (June-July). There is an abundance of wild growing natural populations of bearberry on Korab Mountain that represents a unique natural resource of this herbal substance for both countries, Albania and North Macedonia. The aim of the present study was to determine the arbutin content and to assess its variability in the bearberry leaves of seven wild populations from Korab Mountain. The leaves were collected monthly (May-October) during a period of 3 years (2014-2016). The HPLC assay (Ph.Eur.10) revealed that all populations have arbutin content over 7.00% (7.03-9.42%) and that the highest content of arbutin can be attained in September/October, during the phase after the fructification. Statistical analysis showed that there is significant difference between the content of arbutin in the different populations. The content was related to the altitude of the collection site and the collection month and year.

Author Biographies

Gjoshe Stefkov, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje, Macedonia

Institute of Pharmacognosy

Ivana Cvetkovikj Karanfilova, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Center for Natural Products (CNP), Skopje

Center for Natural Products (CNP)

Institute of Pharmacognosy

Orhidea Krsteska, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje

Institute of Pharmacognosy

Marija Karapandzova, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje

Institute of Pharmacognosy

Nikoll Bardhi, Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental, Agricultural University, Tirana

Department of Crop Production

Svetlana Kulevanova, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Skopje

Institute of Pharmacognosy

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Published

2021-05-11

How to Cite

Stefkov, G., Cvetkovikj Karanfilova, I., Labroska, V., Krsteska, O., Qazimi, B., Karapandzova, M., Gjoni, Z., Bardhi, N., & Kulevanova, S. (2021). Variability of the arbutin content in wild growing populations of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng from Korab Mountain, Western Balkan. Macedonian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 40(1), 69–74. https://doi.org/10.20450/mjcce.2021.2095

Issue

Vol. 40 No. 1 (2021)

Section

Natural Products

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