Application, chemical composition, and standardization of nettle raw material and related drugs (Review)

An Overview on Nettle Studies, Compounds, Processing and the Relation with Circular Bioeconomy

This paper provides an interdisciplinary overview of nettle bioactive compounds and processing, and ir also explores its role in the circular bioeconomy. Urtica dioica L. is sometimes referred to as a multipurpose herbaceous species that has been used historically in food, textiles, and medicine owing its rich profile of biological compounds. This study synthesizes the recent literature to examine nettle's applications across various industries, from nutritional supplements to eco-friendly fiber materials. In addition, it highlights nettle's potential in sustainable production chains, aligning with the EU's bioeconomy directives. The methods involve a comprehensive literature review and data analysis, with a focus on bioactive compounds and eco-sustainable applications. The results of this review underscore the plant's unique adaptability to low-input farming and its contributions to reducing resource dependency. The findings position nettle as a valuable resource for sustainable innovation, emphasizing its relevance within circular economic models.

Analgesic alkaloids from Urticae Fissae Herba

Objective

To investigate the analgesic substances in the aerial part of Urtica fissa (Urticae Fissae Herba), commonly used for rheumatoid and rheumatism arthritis.

Methods

The analgesic constituents were isolated with the active guidance of hot plate and acetic acid writhing models, and identified by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis.

Results

Thirteen alkaloids (1–13), two lignans (14, 15), and three amides (16–18) were isolated from the active fractions. Among them, compound 1 was a new alkaloid, and compound 6 was a new natural product. The activity evaluation in vivo indicated that various pyrrole alkaloids (1, 3, 6, and 12) possessed significant analgesic activities, they could significantly inhibit the mice pain response induced by acetic acid and hot plate at the dosage of 2 mg/kg BW.

Conclusion

The study revealed that the pyrrole alkaloids played important roles in the analgesic activities of Urticae Fissae Herba.

An investigation into osteogenic differentiation effects of silk fibroin-nettle (Urtica dioica L.) nanofibers

The purpose of this study was to investigate physical, mechanical, and osteogenic properties of silk fibroin (SF) nanofibers containing Urtica dioica L. (nettle) extract at different concentrations. In this respect, the successful incorporation of nettle in SF nanofibers was analyzed and then confirmed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The mean fiber diameter, water uptake, breaking strain, cellular attachment, and proliferation of the given nanofibers also increased as the nettle content was added, while this trend was opposite in terms of tensile strength and modulus. The in vitro release studies correspondingly demonstrated that the nettle release had been controlled according to Fickian diffusion and it was faster in the samples including more nettle. Furthermore, both ARS staining and real-time RT-PCR results suggested that nettle had enhanced the expression of both early and late markers of osteoblast differentiation in a dose-dependent manner.