The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) powder and dried nettle (Urtica dioica) seed powder was studied. In addition, the affect of the following parameters in the ORAC analysis were investigated: 1) extraction solvent (acetone/water, ethanol and acidic methanol), 2) extract dilution, and 3) addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt hydrat...

INTRODUCTION Stinging nettle (Urtica dioicd L.) is one of the most valuable plants used in phytotherapy. The herbal raw material is a herb (Urticae herba), leaves (Urticae folium), roots (Urticae radix) and seeds (Urticae semina). This plant is a good source of vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and biologically active compounds with antioxidant properties. The literature provides limited infor...

When brushed against, needles on the leaves of nettles inject a noxious toxin into the skin. However, grasping the nettle firmly bends the needles away from the skin, rendering it is less painful. The expression “to grasp the nettle” is to boldly confront an issue in order to seek its resolution. The advice warns us against half measures and is timely as we gather scientific evidence to assess ...

Urtica dioica (stinging nettle), is a perennial plant belonging to the family of Urticaceae, genus Urtica. Despite the use of nettle in folk veterinary medicine is well documented, U. dioica is today an underestimated and frequently neglected plant, considered by the contemporary agriculture as a weed to be eliminated. This mini review focus on very recent studies on dietary administration of U...

BACKGROUND Numerous studies were carried out to develop more sophisticated dressings to expedite healing processes and diminish the bacterial burden in burn wounds. This study assessed the healing effect of nettle extract on second degree burns wound in rats in comparison with silver sulfadiazine and vaseline. METHODS Forty rats were randomly assigned to four equal groups. A deep second-degre...

The gene encoding the precursor to stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L. ) isolectin I was introduced into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). In transgenic plants this precursor was processed to mature-sized lectin. The mature isolectin is deposited intracellularly, most likely in the vacuoles. A gene construct lacking the C-terminal 25 amino acids was also introduced in tobacco to study the role of the ...

Jellyfish possess venomous cnidae on their tentacles to capture and consume marine zooplankton. Nevertheless, the planktonic larvae of the smooth fan lobster (Ibacus novemdentatus), known as phyllosoma, prey on jellyfish and successfully ingest both tentacle tissue as well as constituent cnidae, despite the presence of the venom-filled explosively penetrant cnidae or nematocysts. In the present...

Diabetes mellitus is associated with cerebral alterations in both human and animal models of the disease. These alterations include abnormal expression of hypothalamic neuropeptides and hippocampal astrogliosis. Urtica dioica (Nettle) is among several species listed for their use against diabetes in folk medicine. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the astrocyte number in the dentate g...

Hypothesis / aims of study Urtica dioica (commonly known as stinging nettle) is used worldwide as an alternative to conventional pharmacotherapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The root extract is commonly used in Europe, primarily in Germany, for the treatment of the symptoms associated with BPH. It is thought to alleviate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) by reducing stromal proli...