Arbutin
Product Name | CAS NO. | Specification |
Arbutin | 497-76-7 | Beta Arbutin 99.9% (synthetic) |
Alpha Arbutin 99.9% (natural) |
Main Function & Useage 1. Skin lighten, Whiten and dispell fleck,
2. Prevent ultraviolet radiation.
3. Enhance immune system
4. It is good for our enteric disease.
5. It has antiphlogistic and analgesic function to burn and scald. Arbutin is a glucosulated hydroquinone, extracted from the bearberry plant. Hydroquinone has been commercially available since the 1960s as an agent in skin lightening products.1 Arbutin is naturally found in wheat, pear skins, and the leaves of blueberries and cranberries, and it is metabolized by the body to produce hydroquinone with most of the product excreted in urine. Topical application of arbutin inhibits the production of melanin with minimal systemic absorption.
History and Significance
Arbutin is the active ingredient extracted from the leaves of the bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) plant. Historically, the extracts were used as a diuretic and to treat urinary tract infections, cystitis, and kidney stones.2 Arbutin is converted in the body to hydroquinone, a phenolic agent with antimicrobial, astringent, and disinfectant properties.2 Topical hydroquinone is a common treatment for hyperpigmentation. Arbutin is a glycolylated benzoquinone considered to be a non-phenolic agent, also effective in hyperpigmentation conditions because it converts to hydroquinone.2,3 In 1990, the toxicity of hydroquinone prompted extracts of uva-ursi to be banned from nonprescription oral remedies in diet and menstrual/diuretic products.