Nettle or Nettels

Urtica dioica, U. urens , (Urtica)

Stinging nettle is particularly found as an understory plant in wetter environments, but it is also found in meadows. Although nutritious, it is not widely eaten by either wildlife or livestock, presumably because of the sting. It spreads by abundant seeds and also by rhizomes, and is often able to survive and re-establish quickly after fire.

Nettle growing place in Iran:

In the suburbs around Tehran, Shemiranat
In Karaj, on the slopes of Alborz, Kandavan, Zanguleh bridge
In the northern regions of Mazandaran and Gilan, in Harzville and Nodi Jungle, Amarlu, Chak Pigeon Road to Zardchian, Rudbar, Astara, Bandargaz.
in Azerbaijan in the slopes of Sahand
Also, on the slopes of Qaflanko and Bezgosh mountains in Maragheh and Midane, Zanqab, Dilman and Arsbaran cities.
Lorestan (next to the Kashkan River)
Hamadan province, the slopes of Alvand mountain
Sarmeshhad, Kazeroon and Farashband region
Ashkan Mamseni mountains in Fars province can be seen wildling
And in Mashhad, in the village of Zashk, this plant is known by its local name (Sogozo).
It has also been observed in Golestan province.

Since Iran is a country with four seasons and has areas with fertile soil and humid air, the conditions for the growth of nettle plants in these areas are very suitable, and we plant and harvest and supplyer nettle plants with excellent quality in our agricultural lands in these areas.

Major benefits of purchasing from our company include:

Offices in Oman, USA, and Iran
US Bank account
Product Packaging customization
Quality Assurance, in compliance with industry standards
Free product samples
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FOB, CFR, DAP, CIF.

Nettles (genus Urtica, family Urticaceae) are of considerable interest as preservatives in foods for both human and animal consumption. They have also been used for centuries in traditional medicine. This paper reviews the properties of nettles that make them suitable for wider applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Nettles contain a significant number of biologically-active compounds. For example, the leaves are rich sources of terpenoids, carotenoids and fatty acids, as well as of various essential amino acids, chlorophyll, vitamins, tannins, carbohydrates, sterols, polysaccharides, isolectins and minerals. Extracts from the aerial parts of nettles are rich sources of polyphenols, while the roots contain oleanol acid, sterols and steryl glycosides. Due to the variety of phytochemicals and their proportions they contain, nettles show noticeable activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These properties make nettles suitable for a range of possible applications, including functional food, dietary supplements and pharmacological formulations. Despite these benefits, the nettle is still an underestimated plant source. This paper provides a unique overview of the latest research on nettle plants focusing on the possibilities for transforming a common weed into a commercial plant with a wide range of applications. Special attention is paid to the antimicrobial activity of the active compounds in nettles and to possible uses of these valuable plants in food and feed formulations.

Urtica spp. in Traditional and Modern Medicine:

Nettles are one of the most commonly-used medicinal plants in the world, due to their health-enhancing qualities. Because of their high content of nutritive substances, nettles are also used in folk veterinary medicine. There are many dietary supplements based on Urtica spp. now on the market. Their popularity can be explained by their non-toxic chemical composition, relatively low cost and wide availability. The most recognized health benefit of using stinging nettles is activity against Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, as well as urinary tract infections. Clinical studies suggest that Urtica spp. contain compounds that affect the hormones responsible for BPH. In addition, nettle root extract shows activity against prostate cancer cells. In therapy, nettles are usually used in combination with saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). They are also used as a home remedy for bladder infections.

Nettles can help alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis and joint pain, typically in the case of hands, knees, hips and spine. Nettles can work in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), allowing patients to decrease their use of NSAIDs. The prolonged use of NSAIDs can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. In a study by Randall and co-workers, nettles were able to decrease osteoarthritic pain in the base of the thumb when applied to the painful area. In a clinical trial of 37 people with acute arthritis, 50 g of stewed nettle leaves consumed daily, combined with 50 mg of diclofenac, were shown to be as effective as the full 200-mg dose of diclofenac over a two-week period. Studies have also shown that applying nettle leaves directly decreases joint pain and can treat arthritis. In a study by Christensen and Bliddal, it was found that a combination of nettles, fish oil and vitamin E reduced the need for analgesics and other drugs for the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Another study conducted by Klingelhoefer et al. showed the anti-inflammatory benefits of stinging nettles against other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Nettle leaves contain histamine, which may seem inadvisable for allergy medication. However, histamine has been already used to treat strong allergy symptoms. Histamine production causes unwanted allergic reactions, associated with unpleasant nasal congestion, sneezing or itching. Stinging nettles affect numerous receptors and/or enzymes involved in allergic reactions. In addition, because of their anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties, stinging nettles can be used as a natural component in eczema medications. Infusions of the plant can be used for nasal and menstrual hemorrhage, diabetes, anemia, asthma, hair loss and to promote lactation. Terpenes and phenols are major groups associated with the inhibition of cancers, as well as with the treatment of headache, rheumatism and some skin diseases. Phenols also have been associated with the inhibition of atherosclerosis and cancer, as well as age-related degenerative brain disorders.

The combination of U. dioica with common thyme (Thymus vulgaris), liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), common grape (Vitis vinifera) and lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum) has been known in Turkey as an Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS). This traditional medicine works on endothelium, blood cells, angiogenesis, cellular proliferation, vascular dynamics and cell mediators to stop bleeding. In a study conducted by Bourgeois et al., nettles were used for cosmetic applications as an anti-aging complex, involving the inhibition of collagenase and elastase activities. These properties could be ascribed to the ursolic acid and quercetin present in the nettle extracts.

Herb extract of Urtica plants is useful for bladder disorders, reduces postoperative blood loss and prevents hemorrhagic and purulent inflammation following adenomectomy. Aqueous infusions of U. dioica exhibit antioxidant activity towards iron-promoted oxidation of phospholipids, linoleic acid and deoxyribose. For a long time, the hypoglycemic effects of U. dioica were only speculative. Recent studies show that nettles possess anti-diabetic properties. Thus, nettles could serve as good adjuvant to other oral hypoglycemic agents and seem promising for the development of phytomedicines for diabetes mellitus. In addition, as organic nitrogenous compounds, amino acids from nettles are building blocks in the process of protein biosynthesis. The safety of aqueous extracts of U. dioica and their antidiabetic effects have been confirmed with mice models.

According to a research conducted in Zanjan University:

A group of natural poisons from various animals, plants and microorganic sources can be extracted, produced and processed. Following ten years of field and laboratory research and studies, resulted from the creation of the first live collection of Iranian nettle ecotypes (LCINs) at the University of Zanjan, the feasibility of fresh and live extraction of nettle poison in pristine and untouched conditions was examined. In this study, the ability of tree tissues to absorb, hunt and sink nettle hairs, including styrofoam, nanofabric and sponge of the same length (15 cm) and same diameter (4 cm) having the same size of pores, was studied in four selected nettle ecotypes, including ecotypes of Mashhad, Mazandaran, Gilan and Zanjan provinces, Iran. For all four ecotypes on the three studied surfaces, the mean number of fully stuck and sunken needles, broken and sunken needles on the surface tissue, pores torn by plant needles and pores containing pale green liquid were counted and fully scrutinized. The results showed that sponges can be a suitable texture for hunting nettle hairs for extracting fresh and raw live venom of approximately 5 ml on a sponge source for 5 min. Based on GCMS analysis of total venom extraction resulting profile from the studied protocols had more than 10 compounds including some important sulfur containing such as: 2,2-dimethyl-propyl 2,2-dimethylpropanesulfinyl sulfone and 2-ethylthiolane, S,S-dioxide, etc. In this method, there is no need to remove the plant and stem. Its unique advantage is in continuous poison harvests during the 6-month growing season. Based on published research, this is the first report of live extraction of nettle medicinal poison.

The initial concept of biting in human mind and memory tends to be bitten more by animals such as snakes and scorpions and biting insects such as bees and mosquitoes. With the advancement of science and the discovery of new facts, human hatred has shifted from being bitten to positive concepts such as the extraction of poisonous drugs from snake and scorpion venom, as well as bee stings. Along with biting animals, biting plants are a familiar and tangible concept for local forests residents and rural people. The group of stinging plants, most widely known and distributed in the world, are stinging nettles (Urtica dioica L. Urticaceae). Stinging hairs of different kinds of nettles have fascinated botanists for centuries and have been studied extensively. The method of urtication or rotation of patients’ body on living and biting processes of nettle has a long history in the culture and the folklore of some countries in the world aiming at curing arthritic or paralytic limbs patients. The scientific behind this issue is to stimulate and accelerate blood flow to tissue resulting of nettle hairs. The stinging hair is the first plant structure subject to microscopic study by Robert Hooke (1665). Urtica dioica (common nettle) and U. urens (burning nettle, lesser nettle, or dwarf nettle) are native to Europe and Eurasia, which grow wildly in mild and temperate climates, especially in forests and shady humid places in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. The family name Urticaceae, generically known as Urtica, has its species’ name as urens, which are derived from the Latin verb urere, meaning “to burn,” a reference to the plant’s stinging hairs. The species name dioica comes from Greek for “two houses,”, which refers to the male and female flowers in separate plants (i.e., they are dioecious). The most famous nettle plant, which is sometimes called the queen or king of medicinal plants, is coined so due to its medicinal properties, such as antioxidant, antiplatelet, hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic properties. Urtica dioica L. is rich in different ingredients depending on the part of the plant. The leaves are rich sources of terpenoids, carotenoids and fatty acids, as well as various essential amino acids, chlorophyll, vitamins, tannins, carbohydrates, sterols, polysaccharides, isolectins and minerals, while the roots contain oleanol acid, sterols and steryl glycosides. In addition to medicinal and food industry uses of nettle, the analysis of the literature and published reports shows that attempts have been made to create biocomposites, reinforced with common nettle which is also regarded as a modification to improve compatibility between hydrophilic natural fiber and hydrophobic polymer matrix in the form of chemical treatment with NaOH. Drying the plant limbs or cooking it with heat not only removes the biting property but it also destroys or changes the nature of the material in the nettle bite. Hence, introducing a method for natural nettle venom collection from live plants (without plant harvesting) is necessary for industrial extraction of medicinal matter from this valuable plant. The main incentive of this research is to establish an efficient and practical method for collecting of nettles venom on natural bite conditions. Based on published research reports, this is the first study to scientifically focus on raw and natural nettle venom.

Conclusions and Future Perspectives

In short, while summarizing the ethnopharmacological reports on the use of Urtica species, U. dioica emerged as the most reported species, providing a rich source of active principles for developing novel treatment strategies. Despite its ancient use by people from different cultures and in different regions for the treatment of various ailments, the current achievements have stated that Urtica spp. have renowned pharmacological potentialities, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects that correlate, by one hand, with some traditional uses and, on the other hand, with the bioactive phytochemicals present, including phenolic compounds and terpenoids that may be effectively applied for preventive or therapeutic purposes in communicable and noncommunicable diseases. However, there is still a large gap in in vivo experiments and clinical trials using plant-based preparations or isolated phytochemicals from Urtica spp. that need to be filled in a short time so that new windows for preventive, therapeutic, and agroindustrial purposes can be open.