Bearberry Research Articles

Antibacterial activity of herbal extracts towards uropathogenic Enterococcus isolates as a natural approach in control of urinary tract infections

Antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy through a synergistic effect of herbal leaf extracts of bearberry (BE), bearberry tea (BTE), parsley (PE), and the strawberry tree (STE) was evaluated to discover an alternative approach to control urinary tract infections caused by Enterococci. UHPLC–DAD MS/MS analysis indicated that herbal extracts were rich in ellagic and gallic acids, catechin, quercetin, and arbutin, which are strong antioxidants. Mostly, Enterococcus faecalis isolates showed resistance only to gentamicin and/or norfloxacin (26.3 %) and moderate biofilm production (31.5 %), while 12 isolates of Enterococcus faecium showed multiple antibiotic resistance. The minimum inhibitory concentration for the majority of isolates was 1.25 mg ml−1 for STE, but 2.5 mg ml−1 for BE and BTE. Although individual extracts gave higher MIC values, for most isolates, a synergistic effect at lower concentrations was achieved, when BE or BTE (0.625 mg ml−1) was combined with STE (0.31 mg ml−1). The BTE extract was shown to have the strongest individual effect on initial adhesiveness and on biofilm formation to all selected isolates, while the synergism of BTE and STE caused significant biofilm inhibition at all concentrations tested. The synergistic effect achieved of the tested extract combinations might be a starting point in the development of alternative products, effective against antibiotic resistant Enterococcus isolates.

Review on Flos Arnicae: Phytochemical Screening, Chemical Constituents, and Pharmacological Applications

The dried flowers of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Asteraceae) is called Flos Arnicae. The other names of Flos Arnicae are Arnique, Arnika, betouana, mountain tobacco. This review aims to focus on phytochemical screening, chemical constituents, and pharmacological applications of Flos Arnicae. Carthamus tinctorius plant is indigenous to central Europe, but it is cultivated all over the world. The Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) is a perennial, branched and herbaceous. The main ingredients of Flos Arnicae include the essential oil (0.5%), fatty acids, thymol, pseudoguaianolide sesquiterpene lactones (0.2-0.8%), and flavonoid glycosides (0.2-0.6%). It is applied in treating pain and inflammation from minor injuries and accidents such as bruises, ecchymosis, hematomas, and petechiae. Flos Arnicae treats cardiovascular disease, indigestion, and rheumatism, and it is also applied as an emmenagogue. The pharmacological effect of Flos Arnicae includes experimental and clinical pharmacology. Experimental pharmacology includes anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, cardiovascular, choleretic, and uterine stimulant effects. Clinical pharmacology includes antianxiety, antidepressant, analgesic, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity effects. Flos Arnicae is used externally on the affected area 2 or 3 times/ day. In rabbits or mice, or rats, the Flos Arnicae is tested and found not toxic in acute toxicity studies. In mice and guinea pig skin, the Flos Arnicae is not irritating, sensitizing, or phototoxic. In 100 cosmetic preparations, the Flos Arnicae is found. There is not any significant ocular irritation after Flos Arnicae exposure. In conclusion, Flos Arnicae has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, cardiovascular, choleretic, uterine stimulant, antianxiety, antidepressant, analgesic, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity effects.

Nát'oh Baa Hane': How Tobacco Saved the World from Destruction and Healed the People

Nát'oh Baa Hane':How Tobacco Saved the World from Destruction and Healed the People Avery Denny (bio), Adrian Lerma (bio), and Michael Lerma (bio) There comes a time in life, and in history, when we must be reminded and be retaught about wellness of life—what to do and not to do. On the Navajo Nation, we look around and see young people who are unaware of things that can be harmful to their health. It is our responsibility, as adults, to teach and provide guidelines for their safety needs. This is a Fundamental Law of the Navajo. Today, we all need a good lesson about life. We need to hear it repeatedly to be reminded of life's philosophy of Są'ah Naagháí Bik'ehózhóón, which reminds us that living a good healthy life includes keeping our mind, spirit, soul, and body clean. These lessons of living are not meant to put people down, insult, or embarrass them. These teachings are meant to help get people out of addiction. Many times, all we need is to have someone open our minds allowing us to escape narrow-mindedness. We need a holistic spiritual vantage point of the world. We also need that holistic spiritual view of ourselves, and our relatives. The mind and body manifest a desire to indulge in new educational perspectives. It is natural for our minds to have thirst and hunger for knowledge. Let us feed our minds and bodies with spiritual knowledge. Navajo Hataałii (Chanters) are trained to see to the needs of The People, to maintain their well-being, and to attend to the duty of saving a life. We seek the spirituality in life that is associated with nature and the Holy People, and we journey to better understand longevity and wisdom. As healers and guides, we give our concern with passion, and we believe that without spiritual healing, we will all suffer down the road. That is why we are sharing knowledge to save your internal organs and insist that you take care of your body and mind by not contaminating them with unhealthy chemical substances. It is said that all people should live to be 102 years old as this is the ideal age. We want you to be healthy and able-bodied experiencing minimal difficulties. With healing and prevention, we can walk on the correct path of life, which is also identified as the Corn Pollen Road of Life. There are options to turn your life around, to get rid of bad habits that are health hazards. Please choose the life of healthy living in your future. The end is never too soon in this journey of a lifetime. Many people are smart enough to know not to smoke commercial and electronic [End Page 1086] cigarettes, but still cut their lives short by contaminating their lungs. If only we intervened earlier, these relatives would still be alive. Nevertheless, it's not too late to help by sharing the teachings about the dangers of chemical tobacco use. The proper use of Navajo traditional Nát'oh (mountain tobacco) needs to be mentioned at this point. It is a medicinal herb utilized for healing in traditional Navajo ceremony known as "Nahagha." If it is abused, it will become a danger to your health. It should only be used in a prescribed way, to heal and nurture. Abusing Nát'oh will destroy your life and kill you, so quit and leave it alone. Live a long time. No need to smoke to pass time. Instead, smoke in ceremonies for treatment. We are responsible for taking care of our loved ones' lives by educating them with what we know and sharing our experiences. We respect young people's learning abilities, and we want them to live wisely and take life seriously. We hope we all succeed to make change for the better of all. Tobacco People In this section, and in the sections that follow, the information utilized to describe and enhance the understanding of tobacco is taken directly from Diné baa hane', or the Navajo creation account. In this account, each of the Four Worlds had conflict that...

Geochemical characteristics of typical tobacco-planting soils in Zhangjiajie mountainous area

为了研究张家界山地植烟区域土壤的成土环境及地球化学元素的丰缺状况和迁移富集规律, 为烟区优质特色烟叶的生产和布局提供科学依据, 本文采集23个长期耕种的典型植烟土壤剖面样品, 测定分析了25种地球化学元素(氧化物)的含量, 并对土壤的风化发育状况和元素(氧化物)的迁移富集特征进行了研究。结果表明, 张家界烟区主要成土母质如石灰岩、板页岩、紫色砂页岩风化物均受到了较强的风化作用, 化学风化指数(<i>CIA</i>)介于73.19~88.03之间, 总体上土壤具有Ca、Na贫乏而Fe、Al相对富集的化学组成特征。其中紫色砂页岩风化物发育形成的紫色土的风化作用较强, 土壤的淋溶作用较强; 石灰岩风化物发育形成的土壤富铝化程度较低。黄壤、水稻土、紫色土中地球化学元素多数表现出一定的富集特征, 大量有益营养元素的富集对于提高烟叶产量具有重要作用。土壤剖面淋溶层中元素(氧化物)P、B、Se、Mn、Zn、Cu、Ni、Y、Sc、La、Fe²O³、SiO²的含量均高于中国或世界土壤元素(氧化物)中值(均值), 而N、S、Cl、Mo、Co、Sr、Br、I、CaO、MgO、K²O、Na²O、Al²O³的含量偏低, 其中元素(氧化物)N、P、S、Mo、Se、Mn、Zn、Br、I、CaO、MgO在土壤剖面中的含量变化较大。通过对元素(氧化物)富集系数的聚类分析, 将元素(氧化物)分为3类: 呈较强富集特征的元素N、P、S、Se; 呈较强迁移特征的元素(氧化物)Br、I、Mn、CaO; 变化较稳定的其他元素。微量元素B、Zn、Cu和稀土元素Y、Sc、La含量较丰富且变化相对稳定, 表明除了常量元素N、P、S以外, 微量元素Se、B、Zn、Cu和稀土元素Y、Sc、La可能是影响张家界烟区烤烟品质的重要特征元素。

Arnica for bruising and swelling

Arnica, also known as mountain daisy, mountain tobacco, and leopard’s bane, is a perennial herb of the family Asteraceae.[1][1],[2][2] The herb, which has orange-yellow daisy-like flower heads, is native to the meadows and mountainous regions of Europe and western North America. Europeans and

Addition of grape seed extract and bearberry to porcine diets: Influence on quality attributes of raw and cooked pork

The effect of supplementation of pig diets with grape seed extract (GSE) (100, 300, 700 mg/kg feed) and bearberry (BB) (100, 300, 700 mg/kg feed) for 56 days pre-slaughter, on the oxidative stability and quality of raw and cooked M. longissimus dorsi (LD) was examined. Susceptibility of porcine liver, kidney and heart tissue homogenates to iron-induced (1 mM FeSO 4) lipid oxidation was also investigated. In raw LD steaks, stored in modified atmosphere packs (75% O 2:25% CO 2) (MAP) for up to 16 days at 4 °C, surface lightness (CIE ‘ L’ value), redness (CIE ‘ a’ value), lipid stability (TBARS, mg MDA (malondialdehyde)/kg muscle) and pH were not significantly affected by supplemental GSE or BB. Similarly, the oxidative stability and sensory properties of cooked LD steaks, stored in MAP (70% N 2:30% CO 2), for up to 28 days at 4 °C, were not enhanced by dietary GSE or BB. Iron-induced lipid oxidation increased in liver, kidney and heart tissue homogenates over the 24 h storage period and susceptibility to oxidation followed the order: liver > heart > kidney. Dietary GSE or BB did not significantly reduce lipid oxidation in tissue homogenates. Potential reasons for the lack of efficacy of supplemental GSE and BB on pork quality were explored.

Evaluation of the antioxidant potential of grape seed and bearberry extracts in raw and cooked pork

The effect of grape seed extract (GSE) and bearberry (BB), on lipid oxidation (TBARS, mg malondialdehyde (MDA)/kg muscle), colour (CIE ‘ a’ redness value), pH, microbial status (log 10CFU colony forming units/g pork) and sensorial properties of cooked pork patties was investigated. GSE (0–1000 μg/g muscle) and BB (0–1000 μg/g muscle) were added to raw pork ( M. longissimus dorsi) patties which were stored in modified atmosphere packs (MAP) (75% O 2:25% CO 2) for up to 12 days at 4 °C. Cooked pork patties were stored in MAP (70% N 2:30% CO 2) for up to 4 days at 4 °C. Mesophilic plate counts and pork pH were unaffected by GSE and BB. GSE and BB addition decreased ( P < 0.05) lipid oxidation (TBARS) in raw pork patties on days 9 and 12 of storage, relative to controls. Antioxidant activity of GSE and BB was observed in cooked pork patties demonstrating the thermal stability of GSE and BB. The ‘ a’ redness values of raw and cooked pork patties marginally increased with increasing GSE concentration. The sensory properties of cooked pork patties were unaffected by GSE and BB addition. Results obtained demonstrate the potential for using health promoting nutraceuticals in meat and meat products.

Final report on the safety assessment of Arnica montana extract and Arnica montana.

Arnica Montana Extract is an extract of dried flowerheads of the plant, Arnica montana. Arnica Montana is a generic term used to describe a plant material derived from the dried flowers, roots, or rhizomes of A. montana. Common names for A. montana include leopard's bane, mountain tobacco, mountain snuff, and wolf's bane. Two techniques for preparing Arnica Montana Extract are hydroalcoholic maceration and gentle disintegration in soybean oil. Propylene glycol and butylene glycol extractions were also reported. The composition of these extracts can include fatty acids, especially palmitic, linoleic, myristic, and linolenic acids, essential oil, triterpenic alcohols, sesquiterpene lactones, sugars, phytosterols, phenol acids, tannins, choline, inulin, phulin, arnicin, flavonoids, carotenoids, coumarins, and heavy metals. The components present in these extracts are dependent on where the plant is grown. Arnica Montana Extract was reported to be used in almost 100 cosmetic formulations across a wide range of product types, whereas Arnica Montana was reported only once. Extractions of Arnica Montana were tested and found not toxic in acute toxicity tests in rabbits, mice, and rats; they were not irritating, sensitizing, or phototoxic to mouse or guinea pig skin; and they did not produce significant ocular irritation. In an Ames test, an extract of A. montana was mutagenic, possibly related to the flavenoid content of the extract. No carcinogenicity or reproductive/developmental toxicity data were available. Clinical tests of extractions failed to elicit irritation or sensitization, yet Arnica dermatitis, a delayed type IV allergy, is reported in individuals who handle arnica flowers and may be caused by sesquiterpene lactones found in the flowers. Ingestion of A. montana-containing products has induced severe gastroenteritis, nervousness, accelerated heart rate, muscular weakness, and death. Absent any basis for concluding that data on one member of a botanical ingredient group can be extrapolated to another in the group, or to the same ingredient extracted differently, these data were not considered sufficient to assess the safety of these ingredients. Additional data needs include current concentration of use data; function in cosmetics; ultraviolet (UV) absorption data-if absorption occurs in the UVA or UVB range, photosensitization data are needed; gross pathology and histopathology in skin and other major organ systems associated with repeated dermal exposures; dermal reproductive/developmental toxicity data; inhalation toxicity data, especially addressing the concentration, amount delivered, and particle size; and genotoxicity testing in a mammalian system; if positive, a 2-year dermal carcinogenicity assay performed using National Toxicology Program (NTP) methods is needed. Until these data are available, it is concluded that the available data are insufficient to support the safety of these ingredients in cosmetic formulations.

Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Arnica Montana Extract and Arnica Montana

Arnica Montana Extract is an extract of dried flowerheads of the plant, Arnica montana. Arnica Montana is a generic term used to describe a plant material derived from the dried flowers, roots, or rhizomes of A. montana. Common names for A. montana include leopard's bane, mountain tobacco, mountain snuff, and wolf's bane. Two techniques for preparing Arnica Montana Extract are hydroalcoholic maceration and gentle disintegration in soybean oil. Propylene glycol and butylene glycol extractions were also reported. The composition of these extracts can include fatty acids, especially palmitic, linoleic, myristic, and linolenic acids, essential oil, triterpenic alcohols, sesquiterpene lactones, sugars, phytosterols, phenol acids, tannins, choline, inulin, phulin, arnicin, flavonoids, carotenoids, coumarins, and heavy metals. The components present in these extracts are dependent on where the plant is grown. Arnica Montana Extract was reported to be used in almost 100 cosmetic formulations across a wide range of product types, whereas Arnica Montana was reported only once. Extractions of Arnica Montana were tested and found not toxic in acute toxicity tests in rabbits, mice, and rats; they were not irritating, sensitizing, or phototoxic to mouse or guinea pig skin; and they did not produce significant ocular irritation. In an Ames test, an extract of A. montana was mutagenic, possibly related to the flavenoid content of the extract. No carcinogenicity or reproductive/developmental toxicity data were available. Clinical tests of extractions failed to elicit irritation or sensitization, yet Arnica dermatitis, a delayed type IV allergy, is reported in individuals who handle arnica flowers and may be caused by sesquiterpene lactones found in the flowers. Ingestion of A. montana–containing products has induced severe gastroenteritis, nervousness, accelerated heart rate, muscular weakness, and death. Absent any basis for concluding that data on one member of a botanical ingredient group can be extrapolated to another in the group, or to the same ingredient extracted differently, these data were not considered sufficient to assess the safety of these ingredients. Additional data needs include current concentration of use data; function in cosmetics; ultraviolet (UV) absorption data—if absorption occurs in the UVA or UVB range, photosensitization data are needed; gross pathology and histopathology in skin and other major organ systems associated with repeated dermal exposures; dermal reproductive/developmental toxicity data; inhalation toxicity data, especially addressing the concentration, amount delivered, and particle size; and genotoxicity testing in a mammalian system; if positive, a 2-year dermal carcinogenicity assay performed using National Toxicology Program (NTP) methods is needed. Until these data are available, it is concluded that the available data are insufficient to support the safety of these ingredients in cosmetic formulations.

Pure culture synthesis of bearberry mycorrhizae

Synthesis of bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) ectendomycorrhizae in pure culture by Hebeloma crustuliniforme, Laccaria laccata, Lactarius sanguifluus, Pisolithus tinctorius, Poria terrestris vars. cyaneus and subluteus, Rhizopogon vinicolor, and Thelophora terrestris is described.