Urtica
dioca. Stinging
nettle Family: Urticaceae PART USED: Aerial parts-
gathered during the flowering period. ACTIONS GROUP: Alteratives, and Antineoplastics
1. Alterative.[1,2,3]
2. Antihemorrhagic.[1,2,3]
3. Astringent.[3]
4. Anti-anemic.
5. Digestive tonic.
6. Diuretic.[3]
7. Metabolic stimulant. Tonic.[3]
8. Hypoglycaemic.[1,3]-mild. INDICATIONS
1. Nervous eczema. Infantile eczema. Shellfish allergy rash. Nettle rash.
Hives. Acne. Lymphatic disorders. Infantile and psychogenic eczema.[1]
Eczema.[3] Skin eruptions.[1,3]
2. Diabetes. Menorrhagia.
3. Hemorrhages.[2,3] Uterine hemorrhage.[1]
Epistaxis.[1] Melaena.[1]
Chillblains, Enteritis. Diarrhea. Rheumatic conditions- local use also.
4. Respiratory catarrh, Tuberculosis.
5. Anemia especially hypochromic anemia of women & girls.
6. Obesity. Promote hair growth. SPECIFIC INDICATIONS: Nervous eczema.[1] COMBINATIONS
- Combines well with Burdock root. PREPARATIONS:-
usually as an infusion.
Dried herb 2-4 g,[1,2,3] or by infusion,[1]
1: 20.
Fluid extract 1:1 in 25% alcohol,[4]
3-4 ml.[1]
Tincture 1:5 in 45% alcohol 2-6 ml.[1]
Fresh juice 10-60 ml daily.
Local: Urtication. General purpose gargle. Ointment. Note: Massive exposure to nettle plants has caused severe symptoms of
shock in animals.
ORIGIN: Britain. DESCRIPTION: Grows to 150 cm tall, upright, having stinging hairs. Stems;
quadrangular. Leaves; opposits, stalked, ovate, usually cordate, serrated at the
margin. Flowers; axilliary heads, green, producted at top of stems in panicles,
the male and female flowers are on separate plants. References
[1] British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 Published by the British Herbal
Medicine Association ISBN 0 903032 07 4.
[2] Herbal Materia Medica Course Notes For Diploma of Naturopathy and Diploma
of Herbalism Students by Lydia Mottram.
[3] Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations R.C.
Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published in
Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel Company
Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed and bound
by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973.
[4] The Pharmaceutical Plant Company Pty Ltd ppcherbs.com.au Images
1. commons.wikimedia.org
by Llez GNU Free
Documentation License, Version 1.2
2 . wikipedia.org
by Frank Vincentz CC BY-SA 3.0
3. creationwiki.org
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects
from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a
plant medicinally.Constituents
Chlorophyll.[3,4]
Formic acid.
Indoles; histamine,[1,2,3,4] 5-hydroxytryptomine.[1]
serotonin.[3,4] Acetylcholine.[3,4]
Carotene.
Minerals including iron, copper, silica, calcium and magnesium.
Secretin. Tannin. Vitamin C.[1,2,3,4]
Protein.[3,4] Various acids.[1] References
[1] British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 Published by the British Herbal Medicine
Association ISBN 0 903032 07 4.
[2] Herbal Materia Medica Course Notes For Diploma of Naturopathy and Diploma
of Herbalism Students by Lydia Mottram.
[3] Hughes, R. E. et al. (1980) J. Sci. Food Agric. 31,
1279
[4] Drogenkunde, 8th Ed. Heinz, A., Hoppe. Pub. W. de Gruyter (1975) Berlin
Research
Massive exposure to nettle plants has caused severe symptoms of shock in animals. References
[1] Anonymous (1982) Vet. Hum. Toxicol. 24, 247
Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective,
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Safarinejad MR. Abstract
PURPOSE:
To determine the effects of therapy with Urtica dioica for symptomatic relief
of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia
(BPH).
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
A 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, partial crossover,
comparative trial of Urtica dioica with placebo in 620 patients was conducted.
Patients were evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS),
the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual urine volume (PVR),
Serum Prostatic- Specific Antigen (PSA), testosterone levels, and prostate size.
At the end of 6-month trial, unblinding revealed that patients who initially
received the placebo were switched to Urtica dioica. Both groups continued the
medication up to 18 months.
RESULTS:
558 patients (90%) completed the study (287/305, 91% in the Urtica dioica group,
and 271/315, 86% in the placebo group). By intention- to-treat analysis, at
the end of 6-month trial, 232 (81%) of 287 patients in the Urtica dioica group
reported improved LUTS compared with 43 (16%) of 271 patients in the placebo
group (P < 0.001). Both IPSS and Qmax showed greater improvement with drug
than with placebo. The IPSS went from 19.8 down to 11.8 with Urtica dioica and
from 19.2 to 17.7 with placebo (P = 0.002). Peak flow rates improved by 3.4
mL/s for placebo recipients and by 8.2 mL/s for treated patients (P < 0.05).
In Urtica dioica group, PVR decreased from an initial value of 73 to 36 mL (P
< 0.05). No appreciable change was seen in the placebo group. Serum PSA and
testosterone levels were unchanged in both groups. A modest decrease in prostate
size as measured by transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) was seen in Urtica dioica
group (from 40.1 cc initially to 36.3 cc; P < 0.001). There was no change
in the prostate volume at the end of study with placebo. At 18-month follow-up,
only patients who continued therapy, had a favorable treatment variables value.
No side effects were identified in either group.
CONCLUSION:
In the present study, Urtica dioica have beneficial effects in the treatment
of symptomatic BPH. Further clinical trials should be conducted to confirm these
results before concluding that Urtica dioica is effective.
PMID: 16635963 J Herb Pharmacother. 2005;5(4):1-11. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiulcer and analgesic activities of nettle
(Urtica dioica L.). Gülçin I, Küfrevioglu OI, Oktay M, Büyükokuroglu
ME. Abstract
In this study, water extract of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) (WEN) was studied
for antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiulcer and analgesic properties. The antioxidant
properties of WEN were evaluated using different antioxidant tests, including
reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging,
hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities. WEN had powerful
antioxidant activity. The 50, 100 and 250 microg amounts of WEN showed 39, 66
and 98% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion, respectively,
while 60 microg/ml of alpha-tocopherol, exhibited only 30% inhibition. Moreover,
WEN had effective reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion
radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities
at the same concentrations. Those various antioxidant activities were compared
to standard antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene
(BHT), quercetin, and alpha-tocopherol. In addition, total phenolic compounds
in the WEN were determined as pyrocatechol equivalent. WEN also showed antimicrobial
activity against nine microorganisms, antiulcer activity against ethanol-induced
ulcerogenesis and analgesic effect on acetic acid-induced stretching.
PMID: 15013182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2003.09.028 J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Feb;90(2-3):205-15.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Urtica dioica leaf
extract in animal models
Valiollah Hajhashemi,* and Vahid Klooshani Abstract
Objective: This study was aimed to examine the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory
effects of Urtica dioica leaf extract in animal models.
Materials and Methods: Hydroalcoholic extract of the plant leaves was prepared
by percolation method. Male Swiss mice (25-35 g) and male Wistar rats (180-200
g) were randomly distributed in control, standard drug, and three experimental
groups (n=6 in each group). Acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin test, and
carrageenan-induced paw edema were used to assess the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory
effects.
Results: The extract dose-dependently reduced acetic acid-induced abdominal
twitches. In formalin test, the extract at any of applied doses (100, 200, and
400 mg/kg) could not suppress the licking behavior of first phase while doses
of 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly inhibited the second phase of formalin test.
In carrageenan test, the extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg significantly inhibited
the paw edema by 26%.
Conclusion: The results confirm the folkloric use of the plant extract in painful
and inflammatory conditions. Further studies are needed to characterize the
active constituents and the mechanism of action of the plant extract.
Avicenna J Phytomed. 2013 Spring; 3(2): 193–200.
PMCID: PMC4075706 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Cardiovascular effects of Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae) roots extracts:
in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies. Testai L, Chericoni S, Calderone V, Nencioni G, Nieri P, Morelli I,
Martinotti E. Abstract
Urtica dioica (Urticaceae) is a plant principally used in the traditional medicine
of oriental Marocco as antihypertensive remedy (J. Ethnopharmacol., 58 (1997),
45). The aim of this work was to evaluate a possible direct cardiovascular action
of the plant and to investigate its mechanism of action. In aortic preparations
with intact and functional endothelial layer, pre-contracted with KCl 20 mM
or norepinephrine 3 microM, the crude aqueous and methanolic extracts of the
plant roots, as well as purified fractions elicited a vasodilator action. Nevertheless,
the vasodilator activity was not present in aortic rings without endothelial
layer. In aortic rings with intact endothelial layer, the vasorelaxing effect
was abolished by L-NAME, a NO-biosynthesis inhibitor, and ODQ, a guanylate cyclase
inhibitor. Furthermore, potassium channel blockers (TEA, 4-aminopyridine, quinine,
but not glybenclamide) antagonized the vasodilator action of the purified fraction
F1W of U. dioica. The same fraction produced a marked decrease of inotropic
activity, in spontaneously beating atria of guinea-pig, and a marked, but transient,
hypotensive activity on the blood pressure of anaesthetized rats. It is concluded
that U. dioica can produce hypotensive responses, through a vasorelaxing effect
mediated by the release of endothelial nitric oxide and the opening of potassium
channels, and through a negative inotropic action.
PMID: 12020933 J Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Jun;81(1):105-9.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The histological and histometrical effects of Urtica dioica extract
on rat’s prostate hyperplasia
Hamid Reza Moradi, Naeem Erfani Majd, Saleh Esmaeilzadeh, and Sayed Reza Fatemi
Tabatabaei Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in human that gradual
overgrowth of the prostate gland leads to impinge on the urethra with impairment
in urinary function. Numerous plants improve uncontrolled growth of the prostate
gland and improve urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH. In this study,
25 healthy adult male Wistar rats were divided randomly in five groups: G1 (Control
group) received ordinary feed without any treatment, G2 received 10 mg kg-1
testosterone subcutaneously, G3 received 50 mg kg-1 nettle root extract orally,
G4 received 50 mg kg-1 nettle root extract orally and 10 mg kg-1 testosterone,
G5 received 10 mg kg-1 almond oil (Almond oil was used as testosterone solvent)
subcutaneously. After six weeks, volume and weight of each lobe were measured
and samples were taken. The 5 to 6 µm thickness sections were made using
paraffin embedding method and stained by hematoxylin and eosin and periodic
acid-Schiff. The results showed that prostate volume and ratio of prostate to
body weight were increased significantly in the testosterone. Histological and
histometrical results showed that dorsal and lateral type 1 and 2 lobes were
not changed significantly but the ventral and anterior lobes have changed significantly.
Over all, the nettle root could prevent from some of prostatic hyperplasia effects,
so that percentage of folded alveoli in ventral lobe reduced insignificantly.
Vet Res Forum. 2015 Winter; 6(1): 23–29. Published online 2015
Mar 15. PMCID: PMC4405682 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) affects key receptors and enzymes associated
with allergic rhinitis. Roschek B Jr, Fink RC, McMichael M, Alberte RS. Abstract
A nettle (Urtica dioica) extract shows in vitro inhibition of several key inflammatory
events that cause the symptoms of seasonal allergies. These include the antagonist
and negative agonist activity against the Histamine-1 (H(1)) receptor and the
inhibition of mast cell tryptase preventing degranulation and release of a host
of pro-inflammatory mediators that cause the symptoms of hay fevers. The nettle
extract also inhibits prostaglandin formation through inhibition of Cyclooxygenase-1
(COX-1), Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and Hematopoietic Prostaglandin D(2) synthase
(HPGDS), central enzymes in pro-inflammatory pathways. The IC(50) value for
histamine receptor antagonist activity was 251 (+/-13) microg mL(-1) and for
the histamine receptor negative agonist activity was 193 (+/-71) microg mL(-1).
The IC(50) values for inhibition of mast cell tryptase was 172 (+/-28) microg
mL(-1), for COX-1 was 160 (+/-47) microg mL(-1), for COX-2 was 275 (+/-9) microg
mL(-1), and for HPGDS was 295 (+/-51) microg mL(-1). Through the use of DART
TOF-MS, which yields exact masses and relative abundances of compounds present
in complex mixtures, bioactives have been identified in nettle that contribute
to the inhibition of pro-inflammatory pathways related to allergic rhinitis.
These results provide for the first time, a mechanistic understanding of the
role of nettle extracts in reducing allergic and other inflammatory responses
in vitro.
PMID: 19140159 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2763 Phytother Res. 2009 Jul;23(7):920-6.
doi: 10.1002/ptr.2763. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Urtica
dioca. Stinging
nettle Family: Urticaceae
