Arbutin

Plant: Arbutin

• Is found in damiana (Turnera diffusa), cranberry, blueberry, raspberry, wheat germ, porst, round-leaved wintergreen, bearberry (minimum requirement according to the European Pharmacopoeia 7%), coffee, tea, red wine, and pears and pear leaves
• Is a chemical compound from the group of aryl-β-glucosides and hydroquinones.
• It is converted in the intestine by bacteria to glucose and hydroquinone

Pharmacology:

• Represents a prodrug as a hydroquinone glucoside
• Poorly absorbable in its original form and cannot reach its site of action in this form

Limitations of Use:

• Hydroquinone, which is derived from arbutin, has liver-damaging effects at higher doses and is suspected of having mutagenic or possibly even carcinogenic effects.

This is the reason for the restrictions in its use:

• Not more than 5 times a year and for 1 week only.
• Not during pregnancy or lactation
• Not for children
• Due to the high tannin content, arbutin-containing drugs, when prepared as a tea, nausea and vomiting is possible, so it should be prepared as a cold macerat