Life-saving Plant That Treats Hand Burns (urtica Dioica L.)
People have used herbal remedies to treat diseases in ancient times, as
well as today. The plant, popularly known as "nettle", is one of the
medicinal plants used by people since ancient times. Its botanical Latin name
is Urtica dioica. Nettle (Urtica dioica sp.) is an annual or
perennial herb of the Urticaceae family. Urtica dioica sp. grows
in tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. While it grows mainly
in temperate climates and tropical areas such as North America, North Africa,
Europe and Western Asia in the world, in Turkey it can grow naturally in the
forested areas of Anatolia, especially in the Black Sea region, along rivers,
streams and roadsides, in moist soils, especially in the provinces of Giresun,
Hakkari, Ankara, Antalya. The phytochemical composition of the plant varies
depending on where it grows. Studies have shown that, nettle grown in temperate
regions has a higher phenolic content and therefore has higher antioxidant
activity. Nettle is consumed as a rich source of food due to its
high vitamin and mineral content, and is also used in many other areas. All
parts of the plant have been used in medicine, food, dyes, fertilizers and
cosmetics from the past to the present due to its rich diversity, including
saponins, phenolic compounds, phytosterols, tannins, fatty acids, chlorophylls,
carotenoids, lignans, flavonolignans, proteins, polyproteins and saponins. In
recent years, there has been an increase in the use of nettle in the cosmetics
and food sectors. In addition, it can be said that, the use of nettle has
become widespread worldwide with its inclusion in food additives. Nettle is
known by different names in different countries; the English called it
“Nettle”, the Romans called it “Urtica”, the Italians called it
“Ortica”, the French called it “Ortie”, the Germans called it “Brennessel” and
the Spanish called it “Ortiga”. Urtica comes from the Latin words
“urere” (to bite) and “uro” (to burn). In Anglo-Saxon, it means “nettle” (needle).
Urtica dioica is a weed and its seeds, leaves and even roots are used
for medicinal purposes. It is a sensitive storehouse of micronutrients and
nutrients, which makes us focus our research on this herb. Despite its
usefulness, its leaves are easily digestible and are rich in high minerals
(especially iron), vitamin C and vitamin A provitamins. This comprehensive
review is an attempt to summarize the latest information on the nutritional,
pharmacological and clinical effects of U. dioica, taking into account the
increasing demand of patients for the use of natural products with antioxidant
activity, antidiabetic activity and potential for the treatment of inflammatory
diseases. The consideration of nutritional properties is also an important
aspect, since every person needs general nutritional support to stay well or be
optimally healthy.
Kitap Adı:
Science And The Future
Atıf Sayısı :
