Betulae folium

Medicinal preparations of dried, whole or cut leaves of Betula pendulans or Betula pubescens Erhart or of both species (see birch below) together.

HMPC monograph: traditional use to increase urine production in mild urinary tract problems.

ESCOP monograph: for flushing the urinary tract, especially in cases of urinary tract inflammation and kidney gravel; supportive in cases of bacterial urinary tract infections.
Commission E-monograph: for flushing in cases of bacterial and inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and kidney gravel; supportive in cases of rheumatic complaints.

Empirical medicine: promotes excretion in gout, kidney and bladder stones, as a hair tonic for hair loss and skin rashes.

Triterpenes, tanning agents, bitter substances, flavonoids, essential oil.

Betulae folium, the birch leaves are official (Fol. Betula) as bladder and kidney tea preparations. A triterpene extract from the outer birch bark with > 80% betulin proved in a non-randomized study to be an anticarcinogenic as efficient as cryotherapy.

Betulin and betulinic acid have antiproliferative (melanoma cells) antibacterial, antimycotic and reverse transcriptase inhibiting effects.

Contraindicated

Febrile urinary tract infections, prostatitis, glomerulonephritis, cardiac insufficiency, limited renal insufficiency. Pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The fixed combination birch leaves+goldrod+orthosiphon leaves consists of

• Betulae folium (birch leaves)
• Solidaginis herba (goldenrod)
• Orthosiphonis folium (Orthosiphon leaves)

has an anti-inflammatory, slightly antispasmodic effect, promotes urinary excretion and is used as a preventive measure against renal gravel and as part of a flushing therapy for inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract.

Bladder Kidney Tea Stada® N, Bladder Kidney Tea Uroflux® vegatable tea, Bladder Kidney Tea Uroflux® tea infusion powder, Buccotean®, Buccotean® TF, Buenoson® N Ointment, Dr. Klinger's Bergisch Bladder and Kidney Tea, Dr. Klinger's Bergischer Blutreinigungs- und Stoffwechseltee, Fugacid® bladder tea, Fugacid® uric acid tea, Hevert bladder and kidney tea, NB-tea Siegfried®, Nephronorm® tea, Nephrubin® tea, Kidney Bladder Tea, Kidney Tea 2000, Nieron® Bladder and Kidney Tea ®, Nieron® Tea N, Renob® Bladder and Kidney Tea (bag), Rheumatism Gout Tea, Röwo-714 AdipoRö-Plax, Solvefort® N, Uro Fink®.

1. Drąg-Zalesińska M et al.(2017) Anticancer properties of ester derivatives of betulin in human metastatic melanoma cells (Me-45). Cancer Cell Int 17:4.
2. Guo MY et al. (2015) Betulin suppresses S. aureus-induced mammary gland inflammatory injury by regulating PPAR-γ in mice. Int Immunopharmacol. 29:824-831.
3. Laavola M et al.(2016) Betulin Derivatives Effectively Suppress Inflammation in Vitro and in Vivo. J Nat Prod 79:274-280.
4. Laszczyk MN et al. (2009) Regenerative and anti-inflammatory effects of betulin emulsions in impaired epidermal barrier function. Act. Dermatol 35: 1-5
5. Li Y et al. (2016) Betulin induces reactive oxygen species-dependent apoptosis in human gastric cancer SGC7901 cells. Arch Pharm Res 39:1257-1265.pix betulina
6. Viszwapriya D et al.(2016) Betulin inhibits virulence and biofilm of Streptococcus pyogenes by suppressing ropB core regulon, sagA and dltA. Pathog Dis 74 PubMed PMID: 27596811.
7. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/betulae-folium
8. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/birch.php
9. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, pp. 81-82

10. Blaschek W (2015) Wichtl tea drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practice. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Munich. S 125-127