Biological activity of leaf extract and phenolglycoside arbutin of Pyrus boissieriana Buhse

Telka tree (Pyrus boissieriana Buhse) is growing in north forest of Iran, from beach to mountain. Peduncle, leaf and bark of some genus of Pyrus contain arbutin as phenolglycoside. High quantities of arbutin is found in some plant family such as Saxiferagaceae, Ericaceae, Rosaceae and Compositae. Arbutin is used in treatment of the urinary tract infection and also antioxidant and sunscreen. Arbutin is diuretic and emmenagoge.In this study, antibacterial (Bacillus subtilis), antifungal (Candida albicans and Cladasporium cucumericum), antilarvae (Aedes aegypti), antioxidant and anticholinestrase activities of methanolic and dichloromethane extract of the plant and arbutin performed. Also, arbutin in Telka leaves is determined by HPLC and TLC and quantity has been determined by HPLC and spectrophotometry. Results have been shown that dried extract obtained 4.42% from dichloromethane and 22.04% from methanol, respectively. methanolic extract had antifungal, antioxidant, antilarvae, dichloromethane extract had antibacterial, antioxidant, anticholinestrase, and arbutin had antifungal and antioxidant activities. Arbutin has herbal origin and can be found in leaves of some plants such as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 4-15%, Vaccinium vitis 5.5-7% and Vaccinium myrtillus 0.4-1.5%.In this study quantity of arbutin in telka was 7.01% and arbutin retention time, relative arbutin retention time in compare with hydroquinone was 5.457, 0.688 respectively.Since there is not A. uva-ursi in Iran, therefore Telka, which contains high quantity of arbutin, also high frequency of this plant is distributed in north of Iran, can be used as good natural source of arbutin.