Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.): Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Food Functional Properties

Abstract

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.

Intraspecific Variability of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.)

“…1 and 5 ( Table 2 ). The domination of rutoside in nettle leaves was observed earlier by Devkota et al [ 17 ], Pinelli et al [ 39 ] and Jeszka-Skowron et al [ 40 ]. According to Zekowić et al [ 41 ], among flavonoids, apigenin, luteolin, and naringenin and their derivatives are also present in this raw material.…”

“…Nettle leavesalsocontain a high amount of assimilative pigments, i.e., chlorophyll a and b, β-carotene, α- and β-xanthophyll (up to 1%) as well as vitamins C, B, K and mineral salts (mainly the salts of magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and soluble silica). Traces of the essential oil and fatty acids have been detected in the aerial parts of the plant [ 4 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Given this wide spectrum of compounds, the nettle leaf indicates various biological activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-anemic, anti-asthmatic, and cardiovascular.…”

“…Given this wide spectrum of compounds, the nettle leaf indicates various biological activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-anemic, anti-asthmatic, and cardiovascular. The diuretic, hypoglycemic, immunostimulating, choleretic and metabolism-accelerating properties of the nettle leaf have been proved as well [ 3 , 12 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Due to their high nutritional value, fresh leaves, young herb and seeds have been used traditionally as a healthy food and feed.…”

Agarwood Oil Nanoemulsion Attenuates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Markers in BCi-NS1.1 Airway Epithelial Cells

“…In the search for novel therapeutic compounds, the natural world is an endless source of inspiration, and many traditional medicinal plants produce molecules embedded with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These include, for example, berberine [ 12 ] and rutin [ 80 ]. Complex mixtures such as the essential oils extracted from many plants [ 81 ], including agarwood oil [ 53 ], are also known for their potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.…”

Overview of BPH: Symptom Relief with Dietary Polyphenols, Vitamins and Phytochemicals by Nutraceutical Supplements with Implications to the Prostate Microbiome

“…In addition to its use in herbal therapies, nettle also has been used as a textile (similar to flax) in the 1500–1600s in Scotland and during WWI and WWII as a substitute for cotton. There are many human health applications of stinging nettle (food, cosmetic, etc., which have been reviewed elsewhere [ 169 , 170 , 171 , 172 , 173 , 174 ], including its use in enhancing farmed fish immunity to be more resistant against bacterial infections [ 173 , 174 ]. However, the most recognized human health supplement application of stinging nettle (root) is for the treatment of BPH [ 119 , 175 , 176 , 177 , 178 , 179 ].…”