Nettle

Plant genus in the almost worldwide family of the stinging nettle plants (Urticaceae). Stinging nettles are mostly annual herbaceous plants that reach growth heights of 10 to 300 cm and can be found everywhere in Germany. The green parts of the plant are covered with stinging and bristle hairs. The serrated leaves are elliptical, lancet-shaped or heart-shaped.
The nettles are known and feared because of the painful wheals (swellings) that develop in the skin after touching the stinging hairs. These stinging hairs are a protective mechanism against predators. The active ingredients of the stinging liquid are serotonin, histamine, acetylcholine and sodium formate.

Urtica dioica L. (dioecious stinging nettle) and Urtica urens (small stinging nettle) are the parent plants for Urticae herba/folium the stinging nettle herb/leaves and for Urticae radix the stinging nettle root. Monographs of Commission E are available for all extracts.

The extracts are used for naturopathic purposes and are mainly applied in urological diseases.

4 species are common in Germany: the large nettle, the small nettle, more rarely the reed-burning nettle or the pill-burning nettle.

1. Daneshmand P et al (2016) Neuroprotective Effects of Herbal Extract (Rosa canina, Tanacetum vulgare and Urtica dioica) on Rat Model of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 8:120-125.
2. Qayyum R et al (2016) Mechanisms underlying the antihypertensive properties of Urtica dioica. J Transl Med 14:254.