Antimikrobni učinak medvjetkina lista (Uvae ursi folium) na kliničke izolate urogenitalnih patogena

Bearberry leaf is an important ingredient of urological preparations because it contains phenolic glycosides arbutin and methylarbutin. Those glycosides undergo hydrolitic degradation in basic urine thus releasing strong antiseptic, hydrochinon. This paper describes preparation, composition and antimicrobial activity of bearberry leaf extract on clinical isolates of urogenital pathogens. The activity against gram-positive bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis, gram-negative bacterial species Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as strains of the yeast Candida albicans was investigated. Results indicate that ethanolic extract of bearberry leaf is an effective antiseptic with particularly strong activity against investigated clinical isolates of gram-negative bacterial species