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Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica L.: botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological overview
Urtica dioica
L. (Urticaceae), commonly known as stinging nettle, is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the group of phytoalimurgic vegetables, including the wild edible species that were all used in the past when there was a shortage of food. The plant is well known from everybody for the dermatitis it causes when touched, due to biochemical mediators such as histamine and acetylcholine. Recently there was a rediscovery of the plant as food and medicine because of the range of biological activities exhibited such as antirheumatic, anti-infective, immuno-modulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, and allergy relief. This review, providing a botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological overview of the species, aims to contribute to arouse interest in the scientific community on this promising plant.
Journal Article
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.): Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Food Functional Properties
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L., Urticaceae) is commonly found in Asia, Africa, and Europe and has a long history of being used as food and traditional medicine. Recently, this plant is gaining attention as a highly nutritious food, where fresh leaves are dried and used as powder or in other forms. Leaves are rich in many bioactive compounds. This review aims to cover the traditional uses in food and medicine, as well as its nutritional composition, including its bioactive chemical constituents and reported food functional activities. Various bioactive chemical constituents have been isolated from stinging nettle to date, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino acid, carotenoids, and fatty acids. Stinging nettle extracts and its compounds, such as rutin, kaempferol, and vitamin A, are also used for their nutritional properties and as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. Future studies should focus on the proper formulation and stability testing of the functional foods containing stinging nettle and their detailed activities in clinical studies.
Journal Article
An Experimental and Computational Analysis of Plant Compounds from Whole IUrtica dioica/I L. Plant’s Essential Oil for Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities
As the Urtica dioica L. whole plant’s essential oil has presented significant multiple activities, it was therefore evaluated using the GC–MS technique. This essential oil was investigated for its antioxidant, phytotoxic, and antibacterial activities in vitro. The GC–MS analysis data assisted in the identification of various constituents. The study of the essential oil of U. dioica showed potential antioxidant effects and antibacterial activity against the selected pathogens Escherichia coli -ATCC 9837 (E. coli), Bacillus subtilis-ATCC 6633 (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus aureus-ATCC6538 (S. aureus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa-ATCC 9027 (P. aeruginosa), and Salmonella typhi-ATCC 6539 (S. typhi). The library of 23 phytochemicals was docked by using MOE software, and three top virtual hits with peroxiredoxin protein [PDB ID: 1HD2] and potential target protein [PDB ID: 4TZK] were used; hence, the protein–ligand docking results estimated the best binding conformations and a significant correlation with the experimental analysis, in terms of the docking score and binding interactions with the key residues of the native active binding site. The essential oil in the silico pharmacokinetic profile explained the structure and activity relationships of the selected best hits, and their additional parameters provided insight for further clinical investigations. Therefore, it is concluded that the U. dioica essential oil could be a potent antioxidant and antibacterial agent for aromatherapy through its topical application, if further tested in a laboratory and validated.
Journal Article
Stinging nettle
The parasitic mite Varroa destructor poses a significant threat to honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies, leading to substantial losses in the beekeeping industry worldwide. This study evaluated the efficacy of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) as a potential control agent for Varroa mites. Two application methods were tested: a 20% w/v ethanolic extract spray and 10 g dried plant smoke, and compared them with formic acid, a commercially available treatment. Experimental colonies, naturally infested with Varroa mites, were divided into four groups: those treated with nettle extract, dried plant smoke, formic acid, or left untreated as a control. Several bioassays were conducted to assess these treatments' efficacy, including infestation reductions and mortality assessments. Additionally, oxidative stress levels, indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in honeybee workers and pupae were analysed. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify key bioactive compounds in the stinging nettle extract. Results showed significant reductions in mite infestations (88.93%, 76.28%, and 100% on adult bees; 86.73%, 94.82%, and 100% within sealed brood for nettle extract, nettle smoke, and formic acid, respectively). The stinging nettle treatments exhibited lower bee mortality compared to formic acid, which concurrently elevated oxidative stress in honeybees. Nettle extract increased GST activity in workers while reducing it in pupae, and both treatments decreased MDA levels. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the ethanolic extract identified bioactive compounds, including isopropyl palmitate, (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic acid, trans-totarol, 4',6-dimethoxyisoflavone-7-O-[beta]-D-glucopyranoside, and 1,2,4-butanetriol. These findings suggest that stinging nettle is an effective, eco-friendly alternative for managing V. destructor, enhancing honeybee health and promoting colony sustainability.
Journal Article
Intraspecific Variability of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.)
The purpose of the work was to determine the intraspecific variability of the stinging nettle, in respect of the mass of leaves and their chemical composition, including the content of phenolic compounds and assimilative pigments. The objects of the study were 10 populations of nettle, originating from the eastern and southern part of Poland. The results obtained indicate a high level of variability between and within the populations investigated but not strictly related to their geographical locations. The mass of the leaves ranged from 0.19 to 0.28 kg dry weight (DW)/plant (Coefficient of variation (CV) = 16.33%). Using HPLC–DAD, four phenolic acids were detected, i.e., caffeoylmalic (570.97–1367.40 mg/100 g DW), chlorogenic (352.79–1070.83 mg/100 g DW), neochlorogenic (114.56–284.77 mg/100 g DW) and cichoric (58.31–189.52 mg/100 g DW) acids, with the last one differentiating populations to the highest degree (CV = 48.83%). All of the analyzed populations met the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph Eur 10th) concerning the minimum content of caffeoylmalic and chlorogenic acids in nettle leaves (not less than 0.3%). Within the flavonoid fraction, two compounds were identified, namely rutoside (917.05–1937.43 mg/100 g DW, CV = 21.32%) and hyperoside (42.01–289.45 mg/100 g DW; CV = 55.26%). The level of chlorophyll a ranged from 3.82 to 4.49 mg/g DW, chlorophyll b from 1.59 to 2.19 mg/g DW, while the content of carotenoids varied from 2.34 to 2.60 mg/100 g DW. Given all the traits investigated, the level of a population’s polymorphism (CV) was visibly higher within a population than between populations. Population no. 4 was distinguished by the highest mass of leaves, and the highest content of rutoside, while population no. 2 was distinguished by the highest content of hyperoside, caffeoylmalic and chlorogenic acid.
Journal Article
Recovery of Polyphenolic Compounds and Vitamins from the Stinging Nettle Leaves: Thermal and Behavior and Biological Activity of Obtained Extracts
Stinging nettle (SN) is an extraordinary plant from the Urticaceae botanical family. It is well-known and widely used in food and folk medicine to treat different disorders and diseases. This article aimed to study the chemical composition of SN leaves extracts, i.e., polyphenolic compounds and vitamins B and C, because many studies ascribed high biological potency to these compounds and their significance in the human diet. Besides the chemical profile, the thermal properties of the extracts were studied. The results confirmed presence of many polyphenolic compounds and vitamins B and C. It also showed that the chemical profile closely correlated with the applied extraction technique. The thermal analysis showed that analyzed samples were thermally stable up to about 160 °C. Thermal degradation of samples UAE, MAE, and MAC took place in four steps, and sample SE in three steps. Altogether, results confirmed the presence of health-beneficial compounds in stinging nettle leaves and indicated the possible application of its extract in pharmaceutical and food industries as both a medicinal and food additive.
Journal Article
Copper Uptake and Its Effects on Two Riparian Plant Species, the Native IUrtica dioica,/I and the Invasive IFallopia japonica/I
Copper accumulating in stream sediments can be transported to adjacent riparian habitats by flooding. Although being an essential element for plants, copper is toxic at high concentrations and restricts, among other things, plant growth. Besides copper, invasive plants, such as Fallopia japonica, which are known to be tolerant toward heavy metals, modify riparian habitats. If the tolerance of F. japonica is higher compared to native plants, this could accelerate invasion under high heavy metal stress. Therefore, we aimed to compare the effect of copper on two common riparian plants, the invasive F. japonica and the native Urtica dioica. We performed a pot experiment with a gradient from 0 to 2430 mg kg[sup.−1] of soil copper. We hypothesized that (i) negative effects on plant growth increase with increasing soil copper concentrations with F. japonica being less affected and (ii) accumulating higher amounts of copper in plant tissues compared to U. dioica. In support of our first hypothesis, growth (height, leaf number) and biomass (above- and belowground) of F. japonica were impacted at the 810 mg kg[sup.−1] treatment, while the growth of U. dioica was already impacted at 270 mg kg[sup.−1] . Due to 100% mortality of plants, the 2430 mg kg[sup.−1] treatment was omitted from the analysis. In contrast, chlorophyll content slightly increased with increasing copper treatment for both species. While U. dioica accumulated more copper in total, the copper uptake by F. japonica increased more strongly after exposure compared to the control. In the 810 mg kg[sup.−1] treatment, copper concentrations in F. japonica were up to 2238% higher than in the control but only up to 634% higher in U. dioica. Our results indicate that F. japonica might be able to more efficiently detoxify internal copper concentrations controlling heavy metal effects compared to the native species. This could give F. japonica a competitive advantage particularly in polluted areas, facilitating its invasion success.
Journal Article
Aqueous extracts of Urtica dioica
Stinging nettle root and leaf extracts were tested for their effect on prostatic smooth muscle contractility. Root extract did not affect electrical field stimulation induced-nerve mediated contractions of isolated rat prostates. On the other hand, leaf extract attenuated electrical field stimulation-induced contractions at all frequencies. Similarly, contractions elicited by exogenous administration of ATP and [alpha][beta]-methylene ATP were inhibited by leaf extract, whereas contractions elicited by exogenous administration of noradrenaline or acetylcholine were unaffected. The active component was present within the aqueous phase of the leaf extract. In mouse mating studies, stinging nettle leaf extract (50 mg p.o. daily) reduced male fertility by 53% compared to vehicle-treated male mice. Cardiovascular parameters were unaffected by administration of stinging nettle leaf extract (p [greater than or equal to] 0.057). Treated mice exhibited normal mating behaviour. Bladder and testes weighed less in stinging nettle leaf extract treated mice. All other organs and total body weight were unaffected. It is concluded that stinging nettle leaf extract reduces contractility of genitourinary smooth muscle by acting as an antagonist at postjunctional P2X1-purinoceptors. These data indicates that blocking sperm transport through pharmacological blockade of P2X1-purinoceptors via oral administration is consistent with an effective and convenient biological strategy male contraception.
Journal Article
Comprehensive review of Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae) phytochemistry and anti-inflammatory properties
Herbal medicinal products are widely considered beneficial and gaining importance in preventing and treating several diseases.
Urtica dioica
L. (UD) is a medicinal plant that has been used as an herbal remedy and dietary supplement for centuries based on traditional experience or random trials without the know-how of phytoconstituents. UD is one of those herbs with a long record of anti-inflammatory activity and several mechanisms of action have been discussed. Plant part, extraction solvent, and phytoconstituents have a determinant effect on both efficacy and therapeutic objective. Current literature mainly elaborates on the antioxidant effect of
Urtica
species, with the anti-inflammatory role of UD still being a matter of discussion, as in vitro and in vivo studies have only been characterized to such an extent. In order to elaborate on this topic, the present review aims to characterize the anti-inflammatory action of several UD extracts according to in vitro and in vivo results, as well as the possible molecules and respective mechanism responsible for its anti-inflammatory effect on several pathologies. Despite the knowledge gathered so far surrounding the anti-inflammatory activity of UD, further studies are required to characterize the mechanism of action and discriminate between the molecules underlying the beneficial effects of nettle on inflammatory diseases.
Journal Article