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Published in Michael J. O’Dowd, The History of Medications for Women, 2020
The nettle (Urtica dioica), a nutritious plant high in vitamins and minerals, contains formic acid and histamine in its stinging hairs. Nettles have an astringent action which led to their being applied to staunch bleeding and probably explains why the plant was advocated for reducing menstrual bleeding. The nettle still retains this indication in herbal medicine.
Immediate Skin Contact Reactions from Plants
Published in Ana M. Giménez-Arnau, Howard I. Maibach, Contact Urticaria Syndrome, 2014
Flemming Andersen, Evy Paulsen
Plants from the nettle family, Urticaceae, are the worldwide most important causes of nonimmunologic contact urticaria.[4] The archetypical representative of this family is the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) found world-wide except in tropical regions. However, immunological contact urticaria has been reported from small nettle Urtica urens as well as stinging nettle U. dioica.[5,6]
Inhibiting Insulin Resistance and Accumulation of Triglycerides and Cholesterol in the Liver
Published in Christophe Wiart, Medicinal Plants in Asia for Metabolic Syndrome, 2017
Urtica dioica L. given orally at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 30 days to Swiss albino mice feeding on diet containing 1% cholesterol, reduced plasma triglycerides, glycaemia from 79.8 to 69.8 mg/dL, increased serum high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol, and reduced low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol from 143.0 to 48.6 mg/L.77 This regimen reduced aspartate aminotransferase from 75.8 to 21.5 IU/L and alanine aminotransferase from 41.4 to 8.2 IU/L.77 Aqueous extracts of this plant given for 5 weeks in the drinking water of streptozotocin-diabetic Wistar rats lowered fasting glucose by 13%.232 In a parallel study, aqueous extract given orally to high-fat diet fed Sprague–Dawley rats at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks lowered plasma triglycerides from 83 to 63 mg/mL, cholesterol from 97 to 78 mg/dL, had no effect on high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol and lowered low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol from 40 to 27 mg/dL.233 Simultaneously, this extract lowered plasma apolipoprotein B concentration toward normal values as well as serum enzymes serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase.233 This supplement had no effect on triglyceride and cholesterol in feces.233 This plant contains as caffeic acid, rutin, quercetin, hyperin, and isoquercitrin,234 kaempferol 3-O-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside,235 as well as chlorogenic acid and 2-O-caffeoyl-malic acid.236 Quercetin inhibited the enzymatic activity of fatty acid synthetase with IC50 of 12 µg/mL in vitro.237 The precise molecular basis and principles behind plasma cholesterol lowering activity of Urtica dioica L. are apparently unknown. Clinical trials are warranted.
Beneficial effects of Urtica dioica on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rats: protection against acetylcholinesterase activity and neuronal oxidative damage
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2019
Simagol Ghasemi, Malihe Moradzadeh, Mahmoud Hosseini, Farimah Beheshti, Hamid Reza Sadeghnia
Urtica dioica (stinging nettle), a medicinal plant distinguished by stinging hairs, grows in numerous countries (Kavalalı et al. 2003). Traditionally, all parts of the plant are used to treat nasal and menstrual hemorrhage, rheumatic pain, anemia, nephritis, hematuria, jaundice, menorrhagia, and diarrhea. Also, U. dioica shows some effects such as blood purification and diuretic properties and some therapeutic effects on diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, and prostate cancer (Konrad et al. 2000). Chemical analyzes show that U. dioica extract contains iron, vitamins such as A, B, and B12, and other compounds such as flavonoids, carotenoids, thymol, quercetin, carvacrol, salicylic acid, and other compounds such as acetylcholine and serotonin (Wessler et al. 2001, Nahata and Dixit 2012, Otles and Yalcin 2012). Carvacrol shows a protective impact against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion damage (Yu et al. 2012) while modifying dopamine and serotonin concentration in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus (Hornick et al. 2011). Urtica dioica extract has been reported to improve spatial and associative memory dysfunction associated with chronic diabetes (Patel and Udayabanu 2013). The aim of present study was, the possible protective effect of a hydroalcoholic extract of U. dioica on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rats, highlighting the effects on AChE activity and the brain tissues oxidative stress as possible mechanisms of action.
Mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to diabetic neurotoxicity induced by streptozocin in mice: protective effect of Urtica dioica and pioglitazone
Published in Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, 2018
Mohammad Shokrzadeh, Atefeh Mirshafa, Niusha Yekta Moghaddam, Behnoosh Birjandian, Fatemeh Shaki
Complementary medicines have gained in popularity among clinicians in recent years. Urtica dioica L. (UD, stinging nettle) leaf has a long history as an herbal remedy, and nutritious addition to the diet (Toldy et al. 2005). UD is rich in minerals (especially iron), vitamin C, and pro-vitamin A. Previous studies showed that nettle leaves are a good source of essential amino acids, ascorbic acid, rare carbohydrates (Guil-Guerrero and Rodríguez-García 1999), and several mineral elements. It is also known that nettle has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-suppressive, and anti-rheumatoid effect (Baeuerle and Henkel 1994; Teucher et al. 1996; Broer and Behnke 2002; Di Sotto et al. 2015; Joshi et al. 2016; Telo et al. 2017). Epidemiological and laboratory studies indicated that carotinoids (pro-vitamin A) may have anti-carcinogenic (Shekelle et al. 1981), anti-ulcer (Javor et al. 1982), or anti-aging properties (Cutler 1984).
Chemical composition, antioxidant activities, in an allergic asthma model, of Olea europaea L. leaf extracts from Collo (Skikda, Algeria)
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2022
Zineb Rouibah, Amir Ben Mensour, Ons Rekik, Mahieddine Boumendjel, Faiza Taibi, Mohamed Bouaziz, Abdelfattah El Feki, Mahfoud Messarah, Amel Boumendjel
In this investigation, the rats exposed to OVA showed a significant increase in MDA levels in the lungs as it has been reported by Zemmouri et al. (2017) who have described anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of an extract of Urtica dioica in the lungs. These alterations due to the exposition to OVA and accompanied by increased LPO have been reported in the literature as the result of the penetration of the allergen (You et al.2014). Therefore, the treatment of rats exposed to OVA with olive leaves and HT extracts has reduced the MDA levels compared to OVA-sensitized rats, thus reducing LPO in the lungs. This may be due to the protective effects of antioxidant molecules found in the extract against cell membranes damages caused by free radicals.