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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Polyphenolic compounds are of great interest in today’s science. Naturally, they occur in plants and other sources in many different forms. Their wide range of biological activity has attracted the attention of the scientific community. One of the sources of phenolic compounds is stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), a common plant in almost all parts of the world. A long tradition of utilization and an interesting chemical profile make this plant a fascinating and extensive object of study. The chemical profile also allows this plant to be used as a food and a pigment source in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Previously conducted studies found phenolic acids and polyphenolic compounds in root, stalk, and stinging nettle leaves. Different extraction techniques were usually used to isolate them from the leaves. Obtained extracts were used to investigate biological activity further or formulate different functional food products. This study aimed to collect all available knowledge about this plant, its chemical composition, and biological activity and to summarize this knowledge with particular attention to polyphenolic compounds and the activity and mechanisms of their actions.

Metabolic syndrome is a serious health condition, yet a common worldwide disorder. It includes several risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and high glucose levels which lead the patients to higher risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and stroke. Phytotherapy plays an important role in treating components of metabolic syndrome. Nettle ( ) is considered a valuable plant due to bioactive compounds such as formic acid and rich sources of flavonoids. To acknowledge the role of nettle in metabolic syndrome, several mechanisms have been suggested such as alterations in potassium and calcium channels which improve hypertension. Antihyperlipidemic properties of nettle are mediated by inhibition of HMGCoA reductase and amelioration of lipid peroxidation via antioxidant effects. Also, one of the flavonoids in nettle, quercetin, is responsible for decreasing total cholesterol. Moreover, nettle is responsible for anti-diabetic effects through processes such as increasing insulin secretion and proliferation of pancreatic β-cells. This review aims to gather different studies to confirm the potential efficacy of nettle in metabolic syndrome.

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.

The main focus of this work was the effect of chemical alkaline treatment on Himalayan nettle fibre extraction and the characterization analysis of surface-modified nettle fibre. Nettle fibre is an eco-friendly material naturally grown in the Himalayan hills of India, and it is replacing man-made fibres. The fibres are primarily bound to each other and, in turn, to the core of the plant with pectin, lignin, and gums, which begin to break down through fungal, bacterial, enzymes and chemical treatment action. The stem from the nettle plant is fibrous and has a high-quality fibre to develop nettle yarn, which is utilized to make clothes and handicrafts, mostly aimed at generating livelihood opportunities for the rural tribe’s people. This method of extraction is an effective chemical treatment for enhancing interfacial adhesion between nettle fibres and the epoxy, which is one of the significant challenges to their usage in textiles. In this paper, nettle fibres treated with chemicals such as 1% sodium hydroxide (NaOH), 0.5% sodium sulphite (Na2SO3), 0.05% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and 2% acetic acid (CH3COOH). The impact of bacterial and chemical treatments on nettle fibre and untreated nettle fibre was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, which is used to study the functional elements, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that there is a fibre breaking mechanism and cross-section of yarn twist formation, physical and mechanical characteristics were then determined for fibre tensile strength, fibre length, Young’s modulus, elongation break, fineness, and moisture content.