Nettle Leaf Extract

Nettle Leaf Extract

Urtica dioica L. is a wild, perennial, herbaceous, flowering plant which is known as common nettle or stinging nettle belongs to the Urticaceae family. Nettle leaves are thin, dark green with a tapered tip and located opposite along the stem. The surface of the leaves has veined and rough appearance and the edges of the leaves are toothed.

Medicinal Usage

Nettle leaves have been used as a natural remedy for ages, however, from the early twentieth century, the medicinal usage of it has begun to largely studied and new pharmacological properties have been discovered. The leaves of the nettle are used in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and allergic rhinitis. The immuno-modulatory activity of nettle leaf extract is approved in many scientific studies. Nettle leaves also have anti-hyperglaceamic activity which is tested in vitro and in vivo and reported in many published data. ⁽¹⁾ In an animal study, significant reduction on blood glucose level is observed when the treatment with nettle is made on diabetic rats. ⁽²⁾ Additionally, in a paper published in 1983, the researchers stated that the nettle leaf extract can be used as a supportive treatment for low urinary tract infections and to prevent and treat the urinary stones. ⁽³⁾

Chemistry Behind

The leaves of Urtica dioica are rich in many bioactive compounds that are responsible for the therapeutic effects of nettle leaf extract such as flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, aminoacids, vitamins and minerals. Nettle leaf extract inhibits the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid cascade enzymes therefore the production of prostaglandins and thromboxane is suppressed. Additionally, it suppresses the inflammatory response by affecting the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) system involved in immunity. ⁽³⁾

References

1. Grauso, L., de Falco, B., Lanzotti, V. et al.Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica: botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological overview. Phytochem Rev 19, 1341–1377 (2020). DOI: 10.1007/s11101-020-09680-x

2. Gohari A, Noorafshan A, Akmali M et al (2018) Urtica dioicadistillate regenerates pancreatic beta cells in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Iran J Med Sci 43:174–183

3. Bhusal, K.K., Magar, S.K., Thapa, R., Lamsal, A., Bhandari, S., Maharjan, R., Shrestha, S., Shrestha, J., Nutritional and pharmacological importance of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): A review, Heliyon, Volume 8, Issue 6, 2022, e09717, ISSN 2405-8440, DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09717.