Stinging nettle is known to many people. As soon as the spring sun begins to warm up, this grass appears. There are only three types of nettle: stinging nettle, hemp nettle and stinging nettle. The first has long been known for its characteristics. Next, we’ll learn more about this plant and find out what beneficial properties stinging nettle has. The article will also tell you how this herb is used.
Stinging nettle: description
The botanical name of the herb is Urtica dióica. The plant belongs to the Nettle family. People call it strakiva, strekava, zhigalka, zhigachka, strekuchka, zhuchka. Stinging nettle is a perennial plant. The stem can reach 60-200 cm. Grass grows up to two meters in ideal climatic conditions, with a high height and density of plants in the area around it. The entire stem of the grass is covered with stinging hairs. They are densely distributed over all surfaces. The plant is distinguished by a powerful root and horizontal long branched rhizomes.
Stem
Stinging nettle has an elongated shoot. The stem of the plant is hollow, ascending or straight. Its consistency is grassy. On the surface, in addition to burning ones, there are also simple hairs. The cross-sectional structure is ribbed (tetrahedral). The plant is distinguished by a crosswise opposite leaf arrangement. At the initial stage of the growing season, the grass has a simple stem. By the second half of summer, axillary shoots form on the grass.
Stinging nettle leaves
These parts of the plant are equilateral, opposite, whole. Nettle leaves are simple, long-petiolate, and dark green in color. The plate has an oblong ovoid-lanceolate or heart-shaped shape. The length of the leaf can reach 8-17 cm, and the width - from 2 to 8 cm. The bases of the plates are deeply heart-shaped. The recess reaches a depth of up to 5 mm. The leaf has a pointed, elongated tip. The edges of the plates are coarsely serrated or coarsely toothed. The venation is palmate. The stipules are narrowly triangular or oblong, free, stem-like. Their width is up to 4 mm. Leaf blades with pointed cystoliths. Simple hairs are mainly located along the veins. There are also plants with bare leaves. The grass blooms from May to October.
Burning hairs
These plant elements contain special stinging cells. They contain a very caustic liquid with a complex chemical composition. When you touch your fingers, for example, the tip of the hair breaks off, piercing the skin. The liquid from it penetrates deep into the wound. The result is mild inflammation and itching. Stinging nettle differs from annual nettle. Plants are often confused. Non-specialists usually call stinging nettle stinging nettle. This is how they distinguish it from the white damselfish. In India and on the island. Java grows species whose burns are as dangerous as a snake bite.
Spreading
Stinging nettle, the properties of which will be presented below, grows throughout the temperate climate zone of both hemispheres. The grass can be found in Asia Minor and Western Asia, Europe, China, and Transcaucasia. The plant is also common in the Indian subcontinent. Moreover, in the mountains of Nepal, the grass is found at altitudes of up to 3500-4500 m. Stinging nettle also grows in the northern part of Africa between Morocco and Libya. The grass has been brought to both Australia and the North. America. In Russia, the plant is found in the European part, in Western Siberia and introduced into Eastern Siberia. The grass also grows in the Far East. As a rule, it is found in forest-steppe and forest zones. The plant prefers moist and oily soil most of all.
Collection
The optimal period is May-July (sometimes August). At this time, the collection of nettle leaves begins. Working with gloves, they are carefully torn off from the stem. Drying is carried out in air. The whole plant is used to prepare juice. The rhizome is dug up in spring or autumn. This part of the plant is cleaned of adhering soil and dried in air or using artificial heating up to 40 degrees. Usually the grass is mowed with scythes and the leaves are picked off after it withers, when they stop stinging. Seeds are collected when they are fully ripe. These plant elements are also widely used for therapeutic and preventive purposes.
Blank
Drying of raw materials is carried out in attics with an iron roof or under well-ventilated sheds. The grass is spread in a thin layer of 3-5 cm on fabric or paper. Leaves should not be dried in the open sun. Otherwise they will become discolored. When overdried, the leaves lend themselves well to crushing. The preparation of raw materials is completed when the petioles and central veins begin to break. Dried leaves are pressed and packed into 50 kg bales, cut leaves into 20 kg bags. Raw materials are stored in a well-ventilated area on racks or stockpiles. Places must be protected from direct light. The shelf life of the herb is up to two years.
Stinging nettle: beneficial properties
The characteristics of a plant are determined by its chemical composition. The leaves contain various vitamins: B2 and B6, C, K. They also contain a lot of chlorophyll, carotene, tannins, and the glycoside urticin. Nettle is widely used in cooking. Silicon, calcium, iron, magnesium, and A-vitamin were found in the grass. Chlorophyll is used in cosmetology. The plant also contains protein. Due to this, the grass is also used in agriculture. There is a significant increase in the egg production of chickens and the milk yield of cows if stinging nettle is added to animal feed. The medicinal properties of the plant are also widely known. In particular, the herb has anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effects. The plant has an antipruritic, immunotropic and multivitamin effect. Nettle helps accelerate regeneration (healing), normalize general metabolism, and enhance hematopoiesis (blood formation). Stinging nettle is also used as a hepatoprotective, urinary and choleretic agent. The properties of the herb are used in the treatment of bronchopulmonary pathologies. The plant has an expectorant, antiseptic and analgesic effect. The herb has an anticonvulsant effect and also helps restore the sense of smell.
The drug "Allohol"
This product contains stinging nettle as an active ingredient. The medicinal properties of the plant in the preparation are combined with the therapeutic effect of dried garlic, dry bile and activated carbon. This remedy is used to enhance bile production. The drug "Allohol" normalizes the secretory activity of the liver. In addition, the mechanism of activity of the drug is due to the reflex function of the intestines. The drug can be used as replacement therapy for endogenous bile deficiency. The product "Allohol" reduces putrefactive processes in the intestines. Indications for the use of the drug include chronic cholangitis, constipation associated with atony, cholecystitis, and hepatitis.
Dosage regimen for "Allohol"
The drug is taken orally, 2 tablets. Frequency of administration: 3 times a day. As a rule, the therapeutic course is 3-4 weeks. Children under seven years of age are recommended to take a tablet orally three times a day. The drug is taken before meals. Patients over the age of seven are prescribed the drug after meals, 2 tablets/3 times/day. The course of therapy is also 3-4 weeks. Improvement is observed on the fifth to eighth days after the start of therapy.
additional information
The drug "Allohol" is not prescribed for liver dystrophy and hepatitis in the acute stage. Contraindications include obstructive jaundice. Among the negative consequences of taking the drug, allergies and diarrhea should be noted. If side effects recur frequently, the drug is discontinued. In case of an overdose, diarrhea worsens, itching and nausea appear. There is also an increase in blood transaminase.
Use of the plant in ancient times
The medicinal properties of stinging nettle have been known since ancient times. For example, Dioscrides mentions this herb as a remedy used for a variety of diseases. Avicenna also spoke a lot about nettles. His notes contain indications that in ancient times people also took the plant for food. The grass was boiled with meat, consumed with eggs and onions. A decoction of stinging nettle in barley water was also popular. A drink was also prepared from grass and honey.
The use of herbs in different areas of life
In terms of its nutritional properties, the plant is close to legumes. In this regard, grass is widely used in the preparation of feed for farm animals. Since the plant is not toxic, it is eaten by some peoples in Transcaucasia. A green dye for confectionery is made from nettle leaves. The lower underground part of the grass is used to create the yellow pigment. Nettle has also been used in weaving for hundreds of years. Canvas was made from the plant, which was subsequently used for sewing outerwear. Fishing gear was also woven from it, sails, ropes, and ropes were made. Nettle was also used to make valuable types of paper, and the ash was used as fertilizer. Stinging nettle flowers make an excellent infusion.
Health drinks
The leaves of the plant are used to normalize metabolism. These parts of the herb are a mandatory component of many collections for autumn and spring health courses. Young shoots and leaves are used mainly for vitamin deficiencies, for their prevention and elimination. The method of application is quite simple - the powder of crushed dry raw materials is added to the second and first courses. Almost all parts of the plant are used for therapeutic purposes. However, preparations in which the main component is stinging nettle root are considered more effective.
Recipe 1
Nettle root tincture is used to relieve joint pain, treat furunculosis, and rheumatism. The product is effective for diarrhea, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, and fever. The tincture is used as a hemostatic and regulating agent for disorders in the menstrual cycle. For preparation you need 2 tbsp of raw materials. The crushed root is poured with vodka (0.5 l). The mixture is infused for 7-10 days in a cool and dark place. The product is taken three times a day, 30-40 drops. You can enhance the effect by adding half a head of garlic (chopped) to the tincture. An infusion of the roots with sugar is used as an expectorant.
Recipe 2
Tincture of leaves is used as a hemostatic agent for myositis and rheumatic pain. To prepare, you need to place 10 grams (2 tablespoons) in an enamel container. The raw material is poured into a glass of boiled hot water. Then the mixture is heated using a water bath for 45 minutes. Then the infusion is filtered and squeezed out. Add water up to 200 ml. The prepared product can be stored for no more than two days in a cool place. It is recommended to use melt water for preparation. Take half to a quarter glass of infusion before meals. Frequency of administration: 3-5 times per day. (as a hemostatic agent).
Water infusion
You can prepare an aqueous infusion of leaves by pouring a glass of boiling water over a tablespoon of the raw material. The mixture is kept for 10 minutes. Then the infusion is filtered. The drug is taken three times a day, 1 tbsp. l. The juice is taken orally for acne, rashes, and furunculosis. Stinging nettle is used for hair. To strengthen them and in case of baldness, it is recommended to rinse your hair after washing with an aqueous infusion of the plant. With active hair loss, the effect can be enhanced. For this, an infusion of nettle and burdock roots is used. The ingredients are taken equally. A tablespoon of raw materials is poured with boiling water (1 cup). The mixture should be boiled for five minutes over low heat, then left for 45 minutes. The strained infusion is rubbed into the scalp.
Genitourinary system
Stinging nettle is useful for potency. Good stimulation is observed when taking a tablespoon of plant seeds, ground with a ripe banana, during the day. You can increase your sex drive by mixing a teaspoon of crushed herb with onions and egg yolk. This mixture is taken three times a day, 1 tsp. Consuming 1-3 grams of seeds orally daily helps prevent ectopic pregnancy. The product improves the expansion of the lumen of the fallopian tubes. For cervical erosion, fresh herb juice is recommended. A bunch of nettles is twisted or finely chopped. The resulting pulp is wrapped in gauze and the juice is squeezed out of it. The tampon is soaked in juice and inserted into the vagina overnight. The product is used for a month. Nettle decoction is recommended for pyelonephritis and nephritis. A tablespoon of leaves (crushed) is poured with boiling water (1 cup). The mixture is simmered in a water bath for 10 minutes. The strained product is taken orally 1/3 cup before meals three times a day. For hemorrhagic metroendometritis and uterine fibroids, nettle accelerates the resorption of tumors.
Other pathologies
Plant juice with milk is recommended for stomach discomfort and vomiting. For toothache, drink a decoction from the underground part of the herb. It is also used as a mouth rinse for stomatitis, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. A decoction is recommended for epilepsy, exhaustion, and hysteria. In Romania, an ointment is prepared that is used for diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus and other viruses that are resistant to antibiotics. Nettle is used as an anticancer agent, as well as for gangrene, leucorrhoea, and asthma. It has also been established that the use of the plant helps regulate the acid-base balance. Nettle is also an antidote.
Use in cooking
As a multivitamin, the plant is especially valuable in the spring. As a bulk, nettle is added to vegetable salads. Pickles, borscht, and cabbage soup are cooked with it. The antimicrobial (phytoncidal) properties of the plant make it possible to use it to increase the shelf life of various perishable products.
You can make a nettle salad. To do this you need 150 g of grass, an egg (1), sour cream (20 g). You will also need vinegar and salt. The leaves of the young plant should be boiled and crushed. The mixture is seasoned with vinegar, egg and sour cream are added on top.
There is a recipe for nettle sauce. For this, 200-300 gr. The plants are passed through a meat grinder. To the resulting mixture you need to add salt, onion (finely chopped), allspice and toasted flour. The mass is diluted with meat broth or hot milk. The sauce is usually served with potatoes, cutlets, and pasta.
The recipe for cabbage soup made from nettles is quite popular. To prepare them, the plant must be washed and sorted. Then it is poured with salted hot water and boiled for 2 minutes. Next, you need to grind the mass through a sieve, add the onion (pre-chopped and fried in oil), and a hard-boiled chopped egg. Cabbage soup is seasoned with grated cheese or sour cream. The dish is served with croutons.
In Poland and Scandinavia, a recipe for nettle sauce and puree is common. Young shoots are eaten as a seasoning for green borscht. They are also dried, pickled and fermented.
Not every person is allowed to take stinging nettle. Contraindications for the plant are similar to those that increase clotting. It is not recommended to use the plant for people with a tendency to thrombophlebitis or thrombosis. A relative contraindication is an increased prothrombin time index. People with this deviation are advised to limit their consumption of the plant. Pregnant women should not eat the plant. Contraindications also include hypertension.
The medicinal properties of stinging nettle have a wide range of applications. Urtica dioica is a wild herbaceous plant belonging to the nettle family (Urticaceae).
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a wild herbaceous plant.
Stinging nettle as a medicinal plant is included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR, XI edition. The medicinal raw materials are the leaves, which are a source of vitamin K and have hemostatic properties.
The grass is widespread everywhere, except in the Far North. Grows luxuriantly in fertile soils rich in nitrogen. Solid thickets of nettle can be found in shady places, on the edges of forests, near housing and livestock farms, as well as in places where groundwater comes out. It is a typical ruderal or weed plant that prefers landfills and cluttered areas. It is extremely rare in crops of perennial grasses.
Urtica dioica is a perennial dioecious plant up to 1.5-2 m high, with a straight, unbranched, tetrahedral stem. Male and female flowers are located on different plants. The leaves are petiolate, ovate-broadly lanceolate with a simple coarsely toothed edge. The leaf venation is pinnate. The upper and lower parts of the leaf blade are differently pubescent.
The inflorescence is represented by a simple axillary spike with small green flowers. Male inflorescences are erect on short peduncles, female inflorescences are drooping.
The leaves and stems are covered with many hairs - long, stinging and short, simple. Stinging hairs, similar to hollow capillaries, have a unicellular structure and contain stinging cells filled with a stinging liquid. The stinging mixture contains formic acid, acetylcholine, and histamine. When a stinging hair damages the skin, the contents of the stinging cells enter the puncture, and a nettle burn occurs. In this way the plant protects itself from enemies.
The main location of stinging hairs is the underside of the leaf blade, large leaf veins, petiole and stem.
The fruits are ovoid nuts with a high fatty oil content.
Stinging nettle as a medicinal plant is included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR, XI edition Gallery: stinging nettle (25 photos)
Medicinal properties
There are historical facts that nettle was used for medicinal purposes back in the Bronze Age.
In folk medicine, the plant's stimulating abilities, medicinal properties and contraindications, such as use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, have long been known. For diabetes mellitus, varicose veins and thrombophlebitis, treatment with nettle preparations is also contraindicated.
In Europe, positive experience has been accumulated in the use of plant rhizomes as a source for drugs with antitumor activity. Such drugs are used in the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia using conservative treatment methods.
In Russia, rhizomes are not represented as medicinal raw materials in pharmacopoeias.
Stinging nettle leaves are part of the drug Allochol, a choleretic agent.
Medicines based on nettle leaves have hemostatic, hypotensive, analgesic, choleretic and diuretic properties. They are used in official and folk medicine in the treatment of skin, bronchopulmonary, neurological and gynecological diseases.
Enhances blood clotting. Helps increase hemoglobin content and the formation of red blood cells.
The leaves are part of herbal mixtures or single-component preparations.
In folk medicine, the stimulating abilities of the plant, medicinal properties and contraindications, such as use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, have long been known. Stinging nettle (video)
Chemical composition
Systematic study of the properties of stinging nettle began in the 20th century.
Aboveground and underground organs of the plant are rich in various useful substances:
- Ascorbic acid - fresh leaves contain from 177 to 600 mg%, dry leaves up to 48 mg%.
- Vitamin K in an amount of 1.5-4 mg%, which is involved in the synthesis of prothrombin, necessary for blood clotting.
- Carotenoids (betacarotene and xanthophyll) - 50 mg%, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Carotenoids influence the formation of bones and teeth, especially in childhood. Their important role in stimulating the immune system and in the prevention of cancer has been noted.
- Carotene - 10-20 mg%.
- Chlorophyll - 5-8 mg%.
- Tannins (tannins) have pronounced astringent, antioxidant, radioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Strengthens capillaries.
- Flavonoids are plant aromatic phenolic compounds that have a wide spectrum of action: hemostatic, choleretic, diuretic, bactericidal, hypotensive.
- Steroids were found in the rhizomes - sitosterol and ergosterol, which are part of the extracts used abroad for the treatment of prostate adenoma.
- Isoprenoids are natural hydrocarbons that stimulate digestion and have a sedative effect.
- Coumarins are phenolic compounds that exhibit antitumor and antimicrobial activity.
- Organic acids (caffeic, malic, formic, oxalic, succinic) stimulate the secretory function of the stomach.
- Lignans have stimulating, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective effects.
- Phytoestrogens have a hormone-regulating effect. Nettle preparations can be used for the prevention and treatment of pathological menopause due to estrogen deficiency.
- The seeds contain fatty oil - up to 33%.
- proteins - 20%;
- fat - 3-7%;
- sugars - 25%;
The inclusion of nettle in the diet of animals increases their productivity and resistance to infectious diseases. To treat hypovitaminosis and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, calves are given nettle infusions. Eating nettle seed increases egg production in chickens.
Nettle for prostatitis (video)
Herbal medicines from nettle
The procurement of raw materials is carried out during the period of greatest accumulation of biologically active substances:
- leaves are collected shortly before flowering or at the beginning of flowering: when up to 45% of plants bloom;
- shoots are cut to a height of 8 cm from the ground at the beginning of flowering;
- rhizomes are dug up in early spring or autumn;
- The fruits are harvested at full ripening.
The collection of leaves continues throughout the flowering period.
The raw materials are laid out loosely in a thin layer and dried with good ventilation. Store dried herbs in paper or fabric bags or cardboard boxes in cool, dry rooms. The shelf life of grass and leaves is up to 2 years, roots and rhizomes - up to 4 years.
The color of the leaf powder is dark green.
The aqueous extract of the leaves has antiulcer, antibacterial, and analgesic effects.
Juice and infusion of leaves reduce alcohol intoxication, stimulate performance, and increase immunity.
Preparing and drinking juice:
- Grind fresh leaves and squeeze out the juice;
- take 20 drops per 100 ml of water three times a day before meals.
The decoction is prepared in a water bath for 30 minutes. Pour hot water (250 ml) into 20 g of dry leaves or 300 g of fresh leaves. Take 3 times a day before meals.
Infusion of 2 tbsp. l. fresh herbs and 400 ml of boiling water are cooked in a water bath for 15 minutes. Consume as a drink or apply externally to treat skin diseases.
Making nettle oil for hair at home:
- immerse dry or fresh leaves in vegetable oil;
- leave for 10 days in a dark place at room temperature;
- filter through cheesecloth and rub into hair roots.
Oil extracts or hydroalcoholic infusions from nettle leaves are used in cosmetic products. They are added to care products for oily and normal skin: shampoos, lotions, bath foams, tonics.
Young nettles are used for food: they are made into salads or added to green cabbage soup. Peasants mixed dry powder from nettle leaves with flour when baking bread in lean years at the rate of 4 parts cereal to 1 part nettle.
Fishermen store their catch in fresh nettle leaves: the fish does not spoil within a few hours.
Nettle fibers (bast) are located between the epidermis and the pith, forming bundles connected by pectin. Elastic and durable, they have natural antimicrobial and fire retardant properties. In the old days, ropes, yarn, and fishing gear were made from nettle fibers. Currently, stinging nettle is used as a raw material for the production of highly effective dressings.
An organic dye is obtained: yellow from the roots, and green from the leaves.
Nettle is a popular medicinal plant that has long been used in folk medicine. Plant raw materials, freshly harvested or dried, are promising for use in medicine, the cosmetic industry, veterinary medicine and animal feeding.
Stinging nettle- Urtica dioica L. is a perennial herbaceous plant from the nettle family (Urficaceae) with a creeping rhizome. Stems are erect, up to 1–20 cm high, tetrahedral. The leaves are opposite, ovate-oblong, up to 15 cm long and up to 8 cm wide, coarsely toothed along the edges, with petioles. The leaves and stem are covered with hard, stinging hairs that easily penetrate the skin of humans and animals when touched. The glands of these hairs contain a caustic liquid, which includes, in particular, formic acid. The upper fragile parts of its hairs easily break off and pierce the skin with sharp edges. Liquid from the glands enters the wound and causes a painful burning sensation. Skin redness is the mildest form of nettle exposure. It leaves painful blisters in children and many adults. This feature made nettle a very memorable plant. It is difficult to find a person who has not experienced unpleasant consequences from contact with nettles. The folklore of many peoples, naturally including Russian, gives it a prominent place. Some people still use nettles to punish guilty children.
Nettle flowers greenish, very small, heterosexual, with a simple four-membered perianth. They are collected in branched multi-flowered spike-shaped inflorescences, located in the axils of the upper leaves and hanging down under their own weight. The plant is dioecious. Male flowers have 4 stamens, female flowers have a pistil with an upper ovary and a sessile stigma. Male flowers produce a lot of pollen. As soon as you shake the flowering male nettles, a whole cloud of pollen appears above them. Pollination is carried out by the wind. The fruits are yellowish-gray small nuts. It blooms from May to autumn, the fruits ripen from July.
Stinging nettle is very widespread - known on all continents except Australia. Grows throughout almost all of Russia (with the exception of the Far North and Far East). In Eastern Siberia and the Far East, a similar species grows - narrow-leaved nettle (Urtica angusfifolia Fisch.) with more elongated and therefore narrow leaves. In terms of its beneficial properties and use, it is equivalent to stinging nettle.
Nettle grows mainly in garbage areas, landfills, near houses and farmyards, along roads, along ravines, the banks of reservoirs, in damp forests, especially uncleared ones, among bushes, on drained peat bogs and in other habitats with a high nitrogen content in the soil. Such plants, characterized by increased demands on nitrogen nutrition, are called nitrophils by botanists. Nettle is a typical representative of this group. It almost always forms extensive thickets, since it has a well-developed ability for vegetative propagation due to long rhizomes.
Economic use of nettle
nettle leaves very rich in vitamins - they contain up to 0.6% ascorbic acid (vitamin C), up to 50 mg of carotenoids (provitamin A), vitamins K (up to 400 biological units per 1 g) and group B. As you can see, this is a natural vitamin concentrate. In addition to vitamins, nettle leaves contain a lot of protein, chlorophyll (up to 8%), starch (up to 10%), other carbohydrates (about 1%), iron salts, potassium, copper, manganese, titanium, and nickel. They also contain tannins, flavonoids, beta-sitosterol, and plant acids. An amine (histamine) was found in the burning hairs. Sterol, steryl glycosides, and tannins were identified in the rhizomes.
It is not surprising that the leaves and young shoots of nettle have long been used in cooking. In terms of nutritional value, they are close to legumes. In the spring, when young shoots of nettle grow, they are widely used for preparing green cabbage soup, pickles and other soups, which can only be welcomed. However, prolonged cooking destroys some of the vitamins. It is better to eat nettle leaves fresh, in salads. And in order not to “burn” the lips, oral cavity and esophagus, the leaves are scalded with boiling water, after which they lose their pungency. The pungency also disappears in dried leaves. Culinary manuals also provide other ways to prepare young nettle shoots for consumption without prolonged heat exposure.
This feature of nettle has also found use among the people: fish, dressed with fresh shoots of this plant, remains fresh for a relatively long time. Fishermen use nettles to transport the caught fish in good condition to the market or home.
It is worth noting that the stems of this plant are rich in durable fiber, which can be used for weaving ropes and making coarse fabrics. In the 30s, many experiments were carried out aimed at the practical use of nettle fiber. And, if nylon and similar synthetic fibers had not appeared, these research could have led to the introduction of nettle into industrial culture as a new spinning plant.
Medicinal value of nettle and methods of medicinal use of nettle
Perhaps because nettle is such a common plant, it has been used for medicinal purposes for a very long time, long before the advent of scientific medicine. Nettle is so versatile that it is easier to name those diseases that it does not treat. Healers assured that evil spirits are most afraid of nettles.
The Salerno Health Code says about nettles:
“Sends soya to the sick, stops nasty vomiting. Nettle seed also cures colic reliably. If you start drinking this remedy, your cough will go away. It expels cold from the lungs and ulcers from the womb. Provides true help for various joint diseases.”
It has long been believed that nettle is a good tonic for older people. It allegedly activates all vital organs and increases the body's own defenses. Nettle leaves are used to increase overall metabolism. They are an indispensable part of the fees (teas) of spring and autumn health courses. The leaves and young shoots of nettle serve primarily for the prevention and treatment of vitamin deficiencies, which are most often observed in late winter and early spring. The method of use is the simplest - powder from dry leaves is added to the first and second courses.
In folk medicine nettle It is very widely used not only as a hemostatic agent for uterine, hemorrhoidal, pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal and nasal bleeding, but also as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, regulating the functional activity of the stomach and strengthening it (for dyspepsia, diarrhea).
In addition, stinging nettle has a blood purifying effect, for example, against dropsy and scrofula.
Leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds are used for medicinal purposes. Root preparations are often more effective than leaf preparations.
Nettle is used as an expectorant, and also as a hemostatic agent for hemoptysis; It is effective against fever and even malaria.
For malaria, mix 1 tablespoon of nettle root with half a spoon of garlic and pour in 0.5 liters of vodka. Leave for 5 - 8 days and drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day (with the addition of water).
For anuria (complete cessation of urine excretion), a steam of leaves and flowers in a dose of 50 g per 1 liter of boiling water helps.
For arthritis (inflammation of the joints), pour 7 g of chopped herbs into 200 ml of boiling water and steam for 15-20 minutes. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
For polyarthritis (several large joints become inflamed, but small joints, such as fingers and toes, can also be involved in the process. The joints swell, pain appears, limited mobility, crunching when moving), a decoction is very useful. - Fresh nettle is brewed (1 tablespoon per 1 glass of boiling water), boil Zmin. and drink it along with the grass. A good result is achieved if you also make warm compresses from galangal infusion (5-6 galangal tubers per 500 ml of water. Leave for 30 days).
For bronchial asthma, drink 1 cup of infusion from the leaves daily. Take 1 teaspoon with the top of dry leaves per 100 ml of boiling water, bring to a boil in an earthenware or enamel bowl. Drink like tea, letting it sit for a bit.
For abdominal dropsy, drink tea from an infusion of roots. This quickly stops dropsy, especially if treatment is started on time. M Dried roots should be finely chopped. Brew 1 teaspoon of raw material with 200 ml of boiling water. Let it brew and drink 100 ml 2 times a day.
To strengthen hair, a decoction of 100 g of crushed nettle leaves, poured with 500 ml of water and 500 ml of vinegar, boiled for 3 minutes, filtered. Before going to bed, wash your hair without soap.
A decoction is useful for hemorrhoids: pour 1 tablespoon of dry leaves into 200 ml of boiling water, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, cool, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day.
For hemorrhoidal bleeding and pain, prepare a decoction of equal parts of nettle and buckthorn. 15 g of the mixture is poured into 500 ml of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes, filtered, cooled and drunk 100 ml before meals 3-4 times a day.
For impotence: potency is well stimulated by taking 1 tablespoon of nettle seeds during the day, ground into a homogeneous mass with a ripe banana.
To enhance libido, mix 1 teaspoon of crushed nettle with egg yolk and onion. Eat this mixture 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
For hysteria, take 1 teaspoon with honey 3 times a day, stinging nettle juice, squeezed from April to September.
For gastric bleeding (sometimes as a complication of gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis with erosions of the mucous membrane, etc.), infuse 10 g of crushed roots and leaves for 1 hour in 200 ml of boiling water and drink 100 - 150 ml 2 - 3 times a day before meals.
For bleeding (post-abortion, postpartum), take the infusion (15 g of crushed dry leaves per 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes) chilled, 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
For radiation sickness, take 1 teaspoon of squeezed nettle juice 3 times a day.
Pour one tablespoon of crushed dry root into 200 ml of water, boil for 20 minutes, strain, after cooling, take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
For long and painless menstruation, drink 1 teaspoon 3 times a day of fresh juice from the leaves.
Infusion: 1 tablespoon of dry leaves per 1 cup of boiling water. Leave, wrapped, for 1 hour. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day per 300 min. before meals for acute articular rheumatism, muscular rheumatism, gout.
People often use fresh nettles for rheumatism and radiculitis: they apply light blows to painful areas with freshly picked shoots, and steam in a bathhouse with brooms made from nettles and birch branches.
Drink 1 tablespoon of nettle juice for furunculosis, acne, and various rashes.
Nettle juice mixed with salt is used to lubricate cancerous ulcers.
To prevent ectopic pregnancy, it is recommended to take 1-3g of nettle seeds orally (nettle seeds help expand the lumen of the fallopian tubes through which the egg moves).
For dysentery, make an infusion: take 1 teaspoon of nettle leaves and blackberry leaves per 300 ml of boiling water. Leave in the oven for 2 hours and drink throughout the day.
For periparametritis (inflammation of the periuterine tissue), take an infusion of nettle leaves:
“If stinging nettle is the source
Finely, cook in a wooden
Oil or old wine and applied to sore legs will drive out gout” - an old recipe.
For gout: take 1 teaspoon of fresh nettle juice 3 times a day.
Decoction of roots: 1 tablespoon of dry raw materials per 1/2 cup of sunflower oil, boil for 30 minutes, strain. Rub on sore joints.
With rheumatoid polyarthritis (occurs as a result of frequent repeated attacks of rheumatism):
Pour 200 ml of boiling water over one tablespoon of dry leaves, leave, covered, for 1 hour, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day per 300 min. before meals.
For diarrhea in tuberculosis patients, infuse 1 - 2 tablespoons of the herb for 1 hour in 200 ml of boiling water and drink 50 ml of the infusion 3-4 times a day before meals.
For muscular rheumatism, pour 1 tablespoon of dry leaves into 200 ml of boiling water, leave, wrapped, for 1 hour, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day per 300 min. before meals.
The appearance of early gray hair is prevented by taking an infusion of nettle leaves.
Pour one tablespoon of leaves crushed to 0.5 mm into 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, strain, cool, take 100 ml of Zraza per day before meals.
For senile weakness, pour 200g of May nettle into 0.5 liters of vodka. Tie the neck of the bottle with gauze. Keep it in the window for the first day, then in the dark for another 8 days. Strain, squeeze. Take 1 teaspoon on an empty stomach per 30 minutes. before meals and 1 teaspoon at night before bed.
As a blood purifier for poisoning, infuse 10 g of roots and leaves for 1 hour in 200 ml of boiling water and drink 100 ml 2-3 times a day before meals.
For stomach and duodenal ulcers, prepare an infusion daily: 3-4 heaped teaspoons of dry nettle, pour 600-800 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 seconds, strain and drink in small sips.
For diabetes, an infusion is used: 50 g of leaves (it is better to use fresh ones) pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Leave for 2 hours, strain. Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day before meals. Young nettle can be used to prepare cabbage soup and various salads.
Take juice from fresh leaves orally, 1 teaspoon 3 times a day in 1/4 glass of water for 20 minutes. before meals for excessive menstruation and various bleeding.
A cotton swab moistened with juice from fresh leaves, or a paste of leaves on a swab, is inserted into the vagina for cervical erosion.
For bleeding, stinging nettle is used as follows: pour 1 tablespoon of dry leaves with 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes. over low heat, cool, strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day.
Lactogonic: pour 2 tablespoons of a mixture of stinging nettle and dill into 2 glasses of water, bring to a boil, cool, strain. Drink 1/2 glass 2 times a day an hour after meals.
Infusion of leaves: 7g of dry crushed raw materials per 1 cup of boiling water, infuse for 3 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day for anemia and anemia.
Infusion of nettle leaves: 1 tablespoon of dry crushed raw material per 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day for spleen disease and metabolic disorders.
Infusion of nettle leaves: 1 tablespoon of dry crushed raw material per 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day for flatulence, dyspepsia, bleeding from the intestines, stomach, stomach cramps, hemorrhoids, constipation, cholecystitis.
Tincture: nettle roots along with garlic, taken in equal parts, pour vodka in a ratio of 1:5, leave for 7 days, strain. Rub the resulting tincture on the patient with a cold; give 1 tablespoon orally 3 times a day as an antipyretic.
Infusion of leaves: 1 tablespoon of crushed raw materials per 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon Zraz per day for tuberculosis, pulmonary hemorrhage, bleeding from the kidneys, uterine bleeding, delayed menstruation, dysmenorrhea.
Fresh juice: 1 teaspoon 3 times a day for whooping cough.
Place a mixture of nettle juice (20 g) and 90% alcohol (5 g) into the nose, 3 to 4 drops 3 times a day for a runny nose.
Decoction of seeds: 1 tablespoon of raw material per 1 glass of red grape wine, boil in a water bath for 3 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for sexual weakness.
Infusion of leaves: 7g of dry crushed raw materials per 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day for postpartum decreased uterine tone.
Infusion of nettle leaves: 1 tablespoon of crushed raw material per 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, strain. Use for rinsing and lotions for thrush.
Take 1 teaspoon orally 3 times a day for scrofula and anemia.
Infusion of leaves for external use: 5 tablespoons of crushed raw materials per 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, strain. Use for rinsing and lotions for allergic diathesis.
Infusion of leaves: 1 tablespoon of dry crushed raw materials per 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes, strain. Use both externally and internally, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day for eczema, dermatitis, boils.
Fresh nettle juice is used to lubricate ulcers and fistulas.
For gallstones and kidney stones, use nettle root, boiled with sugar, or seeds ground in water, 1-3 g per dose 2-3 times a day.
A decoction can be prepared from nettle leaves, which promotes urine separation and is effective for men with prostatitis. This decoction is recognized by medicine in many countries as an auxiliary diuretic for diseases with urinary retention. A decoction of nettle rhizomes is prescribed for urinary retention due to prostate adenoma (benign tumor). A decoction of leaves and rhizomes is prepared as follows: Two teaspoons of crushed plant material are poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water, 5 minutes. boil and filter. The decoction is drunk warm, in small sips, one cup in the morning and evening for 4-8 weeks.
Many German doctors recommend that for patients suffering from rheumatism and diseases that cause joint degeneration, a collection (tea) of the following composition:
Nettle leaves - 4 parts, dandelion root and grass - 4 parts, horsetail grass - 2 parts, birch leaves - 1 part, rose hips - 1 part. 2 teaspoons of the mixture are poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water, 15 minutes. insist and strain. Drink - 3 times a day, one cup. Course duration is 6 weeks.
Treatment with this tea is also prescribed for kidney stones and gall bladder stones.
Avicenna writes the following about nettles:
“In a medicinal dressing with vinegar (nettle) causes abscesses to open, helps with them, and is beneficial for hardening. Its seeds in the form of a medicinal dressing help against cancer; its ash has the same effect.
...Crushed nettle leaves stop bleeding from the nose, and nettle seed helps with loss of smell...Nettle seed in the form of a medicinal bandage facilitates the removal of teeth, the use of a medicinal bandage from it helps with tumors behind the ears and inside the glands...Nettle arouses lust, especially its seed with boiled water wine, and opens the mouth of the uterus so that it receives the male seed. Nettle has the same effect if eaten with onions and eggs.”
For leukemia caused by radioactive radiation, you should drink 150 - 200 g of nettle leaf juice daily.
For anemia, secondary and iron deficiency anemia, take 1 tablespoon after meals 1 - 3 times a day of nettle flour with honey: for 1 kg of honey, take 200 g of nettle leaf powder, collected in May, mix thoroughly. Store in a cool, dark place.
Prepare an alcohol tincture of stinging nettle roots (1:5), leave for 2 weeks, shaking the contents periodically, strain. It is believed that if you add 6-8 drops of this tincture to tea, you can slow down the development of cancer cells; At the same time, it is recommended to drink an infusion of leaves instead of tea.
During April, young apical leaves of nettle are good to add daily to salads and green cabbage soup, while simultaneously preparing powder and juice for year-round use.
Here is what Odo of Mena writes about the properties of nettles:
“Often with boiling, it helps those with jaundice.
Nettle seed with honey is a remedy for colic;
Use it often and it will cure an old cough,
It expels cold from the lungs and bloating.
With honey, its powder helps with these ailments,
Or its juice with wine, if it is taken often,
With salt for ulcers, a poultice of nettle leaves is useful,
And it also cleanses contaminated wounds.
The poultice also has power against dog bites.
Treats cancrotic (cancerous) ulcers, parotids, and dislocations as well.
She replenishes the meat that has fallen off the bone,
Usually it dries out harmful moisture.
Grind with vinegar to relieve swelling of the spleen
The root knows how, and it also helps with gout
And for any ailments that affect our joints,
In these cases, it will help if it is applied on top or
Boiled in olive oil, this ointment will warm your members.
Nettle seed with wine, if drunk, excites love;
It’s better if you add honey and pepper to the grated tap,
And, as stated above, take it together with wine.
Her seed will heal the lungs and breasts and those suffering from pleurisy,
If taken in combination with honey, and if
Drink with honey water, it removes urine in abundance.”
Nettle has found quite wide use in cosmetics. In particular, shampoos that strengthen hair roots and contain nettle extract are sold.
Features of the procurement of medicinal raw materials
Nettle leaves are harvested during budding and flowering of plants (in May, June and July). Often the leaves are “shredded” by running a hand in a thick mitten along the stem from top to bottom or vice versa, but you can mow the shoots or cut them off with a sickle, lightly dry them, and then thresh the leaves on a clean litter and throw away the thick stems. For personal consumption, the tops of young shoots are usually picked and dried, tied into bunches. Drying of nettle raw materials should be carried out in ventilated rooms, in attics, in sheds, but always in a place protected from direct sunlight, as they can destroy some of the vitamins.
Nettle rhizomes They are dug up in spring or autumn, freed from soil adhering to them, dried in air or in dryers, ovens, ovens at temperatures up to 40°. For consumption in winter, nettle leaves can not only be dried, but also salted.
Precautionary measures. Nettle, and all other plants that increase blood clotting, should be consumed in limited quantities by people with a tendency to thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, and also with an increased prothrombin index of blood. Nettle is also contraindicated during pregnancy and for persons suffering from hypertension.
In the Botanical Dictionary of Hermetic Medicine we read: “Seeds boiled in wine cure pleurisy and pneumonia. Seed decoction is an antidote for mushroom poisoning. Leaves, crushed and applied to a wound or ulcer, stop gangrene. Anyone who holds in his hand stems of nettles and wildflowers, collected when the Sun is in Leo (from July 19 to August 23), will be inaccessible to fear. Cabbage soup made from the tops of young nettles, fresh or dried, helps with anemia - a handful for two bottles of water. For sugar sickness, infuse two pounds of hot drink with a quarter of vodka and drink 1.5 glasses 3 times a day, half an hour before meals.”
Nettle is a plant of Mars.
Urtica dioica L., fam. nettles – Urticaceae.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
PHARMACOPOEIAL ARTICLE
FS.2.5.0019.15
Urticae dioica e folia Instead of Global Fund XI, issue. 2, Art. 25
(amendment No. 1 of November 14, 1996)
Collected during budding and flowering, dried leaves of the wild and cultivated perennial herbaceous plant stinging nettle - Urtica dioica L., fam. nettles – Urticaceae.
AUTHENTICITY
External signs
Whole raw materials. Leaves are whole or partially crushed, simple, petiolate, up to 20 cm long, up to 9 cm wide, ovate-lanceolate and broadly ovate with an acute apex and a heart-shaped base; the edge is sharply and coarsely serrated with teeth curved towards the apex. When examining the raw material under a magnifying glass (10×) or a stereo microscope (16×), it is clear that the leaf blade is covered on both sides with short single-celled hairs with a sharp tip (retort-shaped), so it is rough to the touch. In addition, on the underside and along the veins there are hairs with a multicellular base and a long terminal cell (stinging). Cystoliths are whitish round and elliptical formations on a dark green background.
Leaf petioles are up to 8 cm long, round or semicircular in cross-section with a groove on the upper side, covered with densely stiff retort-shaped hairs and, less frequently, with stinging hairs or their bases.
The fruit is an ovoid or elliptical nut, in varying degrees of maturity from green, yellowish-green to light brown.
The color of the leaves on the upper side is from green to dark green, on the lower side it is lighter - grayish-green or green; petioles - green, yellowish-green or grayish-green. The smell is weak. The taste of the water extract is bitter.
Crushed raw materials. A mixture of pieces of leaf blades, petioles, rarely peduncles, stems, individual flowers and seeds , passing through a sieve with holes measuring 7 mm.
When examined under a magnifying glass (10×) or a stereomicroscope (16×), pieces of leaf blades are visible from green to dark green in color with whitish round and elliptical cystoliths, with small protruding retort-shaped hairs, with broken, rarely whole stinging hairs or their cup-shaped bases and elongated retort-shaped hairs, especially numerous along the veins.
Pieces of petioles are visible, round or semicircular in cross-section, with a groove, densely pubescent with retort-shaped hairs and less common stinging hairs or their bases. Oval seeds with a pointed apex, about 1 mm in size from light green to light brown, are rarely found; flowers or parts thereof are small, unisexual with a simple four-part green perianth, densely pubescent pieces of peduncles, pieces of longitudinally split stems with white or yellowish a white core and an outer surface of green, yellowish or greenish-brownish color and fruits - small elliptical or ovoid greenish-yellow nuts.
The color of the crushed raw materials is from green to dark green with gray-green, white, yellow-white and brown inclusions. The smell is weak. The taste of the water extract is bitter.
Powder. A mixture of pieces of leaf blades, petioles, rarely peduncles, stems, individual flowers (or parts thereof) and seeds passing through a sieve with 2 mm holes.
When examined under a magnifying glass (10×) or a stereomicroscope (16×), the following are visible: pieces of leaf blades with short retort-shaped hairs and remains of long retort-shaped and stinging hairs, pieces of petioles and large leaf veins with hairs and their remains; rarely found: oval seeds with a pointed tip, about 1 mm in size, small (about 2 mm in diameter) whole light green flowers or parts thereof, tepals, densely pubescent pieces of peduncles, pieces of longitudinally split stems, ovoid or elliptical fruits and nuts .
The color of the powder is from grayish-green to dark green, with whitish, brownish, yellowish inclusions. The smell is weak. The taste of the water extract is bitter.
Note. Unacceptable impurities include:
a) Stinging nettle ( Urtica urens L.) is an annual plant covered with burning hairs with a straight or ascending 4-sided stem at the base. Leaves are opposite, on long petioles almost equal to or slightly shorter than the blade. Ovoid or elliptical, shortly pointed, broadly wedge-shaped at the base, less often rounded, coarsely sharp-serrate at the edges, 2–5 cm long and 1.5–3.5 cm wide. The stipules are lanceolate and small. The flowers are monoecious. Both are collected together in intermittent branched spikes emerging from the axils of the leaves.
b) Hemp nettle ( Urtica cannabina L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant 70–120 cm high, the stems are ribbed, erect, usually unbranched, 4-sided, covered with burning and small simple hairs. Leaves are 7 – 5 cm long and 6 – 12 cm wide, deeply 3–5 dissected with pinnately toothed cuts. Flowers are monoecious or dioecious.
c) White lily ( Lamium album., sem. Lamiaceae) - stems 20–100 cm tall, straight, simple or branched, mostly solitary, covered with single downward deflected hairs. Leaves are 2–10 cm long, ovate, shallowly heart-shaped at the base, the upper leaves are long-pointed, saw-toothed along the edge, sparsely hairy, on petioles. The flowers are in whorls, located in the axils of the leaves. The bracts are linear, 3–6 times shorter than the calyxes. The calyxes are sparsely hairy, their teeth are longer than the tubes, thinly and long pointed. Corollas 2–2.5 cm long, yellowish, off-white, occasionally whitish-pink; The upper lip is hairy on the outside.
Microscopic signs
Whole raw materials. When examining the leaf from the surface, it should be clear that the cells of the upper epidermis are polygonal with straight or slightly convoluted walls, while the cells of the lower epidermis have highly convoluted walls. The stomata are located mainly on the underside of the leaf and are surrounded by 3–5 epidermal cells (anomocytic type). Some epidermal cells contain oblong-rounded crystalline inclusions (cystoliths) with a granular structure and a small spot in the center - a translucent stalk. There are 3 types of hairs on both sides of the leaf: stinging, retort-shaped and capitate. Stinging hairs are a cell, on one side elongated into a hollow thin long end in the form of a needle with an apex ending in an easily broken off head, and on the other side expanded into an oblong elliptical cavity (capsule), immersed in a multicellular base - a support of epidermal cells. Retort-shaped hairs are unicellular, with a rounded, widened base, slightly buried in the epidermis, and with an elongated, pointed apex. Capitate hairs are small with a two-, less often three-celled, spherical head on a one-celled stalk.
The vessels of large veins and petiole (“pressed” preparation) are accompanied by small drusen, forming characteristic chains.
Crushed raw materials. When examining pieces of leaves from the surface, polygonal epidermal cells with straight, slightly convoluted or highly convoluted walls should be visible. Stomata of the anomocytic type are located mainly on one side of the leaf blade. Some epidermal cells contain oblong-round cystoliths with a granular structure and a small spot in the center - a translucent stalk. Hairs or their fragments on both sides of the leaf are of 3 types: retort-shaped, stinging, capitate.
The vessels of large veins and petiole (“pressed” preparation) are accompanied by small drusen, forming characteristic chains.
Powder. When examining micropreparations of the powder under a microscope, the following should be visible: fragments of a leaf with an epidermis of cells with sinuous or straight walls; stomata of anomocytic type; Cystoliths are often found in the form of oblong, round and irregularly shaped formations of a granular structure, in the center of which, as a rule, the base of the leg in the form of a circle is clearly visible; There are 3 types of hairs – retort-shaped, stinging and capitate; retort-shaped hairs are unicellular, with an expanded base, found both in the form of fragments and intact; burning hairs, consisting of a multicellular base and a large terminal cell immersed in it with an easily broken off head, are more often found broken off; Less common are small capitate hairs with a two- or three-cell head on a one-cell stalk.
Sometimes there are fragments of tissue of petioles and large veins with chains of small drusen of calcium oxalate along vessels with spiral secondary thickenings of the walls.
Drawing - Stinging nettle leaves
1 – fragment of the epidermis: a – stomata of anomocytic type, b – retort-shaped hair, c – capitate hair (200×), 2 – fragment of a vein with calcium oxalate drusen (200×), 3 – fragment of the epidermis: a – burning hair, b – retort-shaped hairs (40×), 4 – fragment of a leaf blade in cross section with a cystolite (200×)
Determination of the main groups of biologically active substances
Thin layer chromatography
Preparation of solutions.
Standard solution (RM) of chlorogenic acid. About 0.020 g of chlorogenic acid CO is dissolved in 96% alcohol in a 25 ml volumetric flask, bring the volume of the solution to the mark with 96% alcohol and mix. The shelf life of the solution is 3 months when stored in a well-closed package, in a cool place protected from light.
Diphenylboronic acid 2-aminoethyl ether solution 1% in 96% alcohol. 1.0 g of diphenylboronic acid 2-aminoethyl ether is dissolved in 100 ml of 96% alcohol. Shelf life: 3 months when stored in a cool, dark place.
CO solution of vitamin K 1. About 0.02 g of vitamin K 1 CO is dissolved in hexane in a 25 ml volumetric flask, the volume of the solution is adjusted to the mark with hexane and mixed. The shelf life of the solution is 30 days when stored in a well-closed package, in a cool place protected from light.
- About 1.0 g of raw material, crushed to the size of particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.2 mm, is placed in a flat-bottomed conical flask with a capacity of 50 ml, 10 ml of 96% alcohol is added and heated at reflux in a water bath for 15 minutes. . The contents of the flask are then cooled and filtered through a paper filter. The resulting filtrate is dried under vacuum at a temperature of 40 °C to dryness. 2 ml of 96% alcohol (test solution) is added to the dry residue.
Apply to the starting line of an analytical chromatographic plate with a layer of silica gel on an aluminum substrate measuring 10×10 cm.
10 µl of the test solution and 5 µl of CO chlorogenic acid solution.
The plate with the applied samples is dried in air for
5–10 min, placed in a chamber pre-saturated for 30 min with a solvent mixture of anhydrous formic acid – methanol – ethyl acetate (2.5:4:50), and chromatographed using an ascending method. When the solvent front passes about 80–90% of the length of the plate from the starting line, it is removed from the chamber, dried until traces of solvents are removed, heated in an oven at 100–105 ºС for 3–5 minutes, treated with diphenylboronic acid aminoethyl ether solution of 1% in alcohol 96%, and viewed under UV light at a wavelength of 365 nm.
The chromatogram of a CO solution of chlorogenic acid should show an adsorption zone with intense blue fluorescence.
The chromatogram of the test solution should show an adsorption zone with intense blue-blue fluorescence at the level of the zone in the chromatogram of chlorogenic acid CO solutions and an adsorption zone with intense blue fluorescence above the chlorogenic acid zone; detection of other adsorption zones is allowed.
- About 1.0 g of raw material, crushed to the size of particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.25 mm, is placed in a flat-bottomed conical flask with a capacity of 50 ml, 10 ml of hexane is added and mixed on a mechanical shaker for 3 hours. Then filtered through a paper filter. filter, the solvent is distilled off on a rotary evaporator at a water bath temperature of no higher than 45 °C to a volume of 2–3 ml (test solution).
100 μl of the test solution and 10 μl of vitamin K 1 CO solution are applied to the starting line of an analytical chromatographic plate with a layer of silica gel with a fluorescent indicator on an aluminum substrate measuring 10x15 cm.
The plate with the applied samples is air-dried at room temperature for 5–10 minutes, placed in a chamber pre-saturated for 30 minutes with the top layer of a hexane-chloroform solvent mixture (8:3), and chromatographed using an ascending method. When the front of solvents has passed about 80–90% of the length of the plate from the starting line, it is removed from the chamber, dried until traces of solvents are removed and viewed under UV light (365 nm) for at least 2 minutes.
The chromatogram of the CO solution of vitamin K 1 should show an adsorption zone with yellow-green fluorescence.
The chromatogram of the test solution should show a main adsorption zone with yellow-green fluorescence at the level of the vitamin K 1 adsorption zone; detection of other adsorption zones is allowed.
TESTS
Humidity
Whole raw materials crushed raw materials, powder – no more than 14%.
Total ash
Whole raw materials crushed raw materials, powder – no more than 20%.
Ash, insoluble in hydrochloric acid
Whole raw materials crushed raw materials, powder – no more than 2%.
Raw material grinding
Whole raw materials: particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 3 mm - no more than 5%. Crushed raw materials: particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes measuring 7 mm - no more
5 %; particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.18 mm - no more than 5%. Powder: particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes measuring 2 mm - no more than 5%; particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.18 mm - no more than 5%.
Foreign matter
Raw materials that have changed color (darkened and blackened)
Whole raw materials crushed raw materials - no more than 5%.
Other parts of the plant (stems, inflorescences, etc.)
Whole raw materials crushed raw materials - no more than 5%.
Organic impurity
Whole raw materials crushed raw materials - no more than 2%.
Mineral impurity
Whole raw materials, crushed raw materials, powder – no more than 1%.
Heavy metals
Radionuclides
In accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmacopoeia Monograph “Determination of radionuclide content in medicinal plant materials and medicinal herbal preparations.”
Pesticide residues
According to requirements.
Microbiological purity
According to requirements.
quantitation
Whole raw materials, crushed raw materials, powder: the amount of hydroxycinnamic acids in terms of chlorogenic acid is not less than 0.3%.
An analytical sample of raw materials is crushed to a particle size that passes through a sieve with holes measuring 1 mm. About 0.5 g (exactly weighed) of the crushed raw material is placed in a round-bottom flask with a ground section with a capacity of 250 ml, 50 ml of 70% alcohol is added. The flask with its contents is connected to a reflux condenser and heated in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, shaking occasionally to wash off particles of raw materials from the walls. After cooling, the extract is filtered through a paper filter into a 100 ml volumetric flask. The extraction is repeated again under the conditions described above. The resulting extract is filtered into the same volumetric flask. The combined extracts in a volumetric flask are brought to the mark with 70% alcohol and mixed (solution A).
2.0 ml of the resulting solution A is transferred to a 25 ml volumetric flask, the volume of the solution is adjusted to the mark with 96% alcohol and mixed (solution B). The optical density of solution B is measured on a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 330 nm in a cuvette with a layer thickness of 10 mm. 96% alcohol is used as a reference solution.
Where A– optical density of solution B;
– specific absorption rate of chlorogenic acid at
330 nm equal to 507;
a– weight of raw materials, g;
W– moisture content of raw materials, %.
Packaging, labeling and transportation
According to requirements.
Flower formula
The formula of nettle flowers is: male flowers - O(4)T(4)P0, female flowers - O(4)A0P(2).In medicine
Nettle preparations are used for heavy menstrual bleeding, for light bleeding in the post-coagulation period of treatment for cervical erosion, for menopausal bleeding, subserous fibroids, for insufficient involution of the uterus after childbirth and abortion. A decoction of the leaves is taken for diseases of the liver and biliary tract and for helminthic infestation. In dental practice - for periodontitis and gingivostomatitis.
In dermatology, the plant is used externally for eczema, skin rashes, vitiligo (rubbed into areas of depigmentation); for furunculosis, festering wounds, trophic ulcers, for the treatment and prevention of seborrhea and hair loss, as well as for infected wounds, nosebleeds, burns, traumatic skin lesions (bruises, etc.).
Stinging nettle leaves are included in many herbs and dietary supplements.
In cosmetology
The beneficial properties of the plant have found application in cosmetology. An infusion of nettle leaves is used for increased sebum secretion, dandruff, and hair loss. Shampoo - for caring for hair roots.
In France, nettle infusion is rubbed into the scalp to grow and strengthen hair in case of hair loss. In Bulgaria, the infusion is recommended for washing hair in case of baldness, and fresh leaves are recommended for destroying warts.
In dietetics
Green borscht and nettle salads are excellent healthy dietary dishes.
Technical
Nettle chlorophyll is a harmless natural dye for the pharmaceutical, food and perfume industries.
Also, for a long time, nettle was known as an industrial crop. Yarn, rope, twine, rope, coarse fabrics, and fishing gear were made from nettle bast fibers, which were strong, light and did not get wet in water for a long time. Nettles were used to make sieves for sifting flour and straining honey.
Classification
Stinging nettle (lat. Urtica dioica L.) belongs to the nettle family (lat. Urticaceae). The genus nettle has 40-50 species; about 10 species grow in the CIS.
Botanical description
Stinging nettle is a perennial herbaceous plant, up to 170 cm high, with a long creeping branched rhizome and thin roots at the nodes. Stems are erect, tetrahedral, grooved. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate-lanceolate, large-serrate. The stem and leaves are covered with long, stinging and short, simple hairs. The hair shells are silicified and fragile, so formic acid and histamine leak out of a broken hair. The flowers are small, unisexual, green, with a simple four-parted perianth. Male flowers have four stamens, female flowers have one pistil, sessile stigma. The inflorescences are axillary, long, spike-shaped, pendulous. Formula of nettle flowers: male flowers - O(4)T(4)P0, female flowers - O(4)A0P( 2 ). The fruit is an ovoid yellowish-gray nut, 1.2-1.5 cm long. Nettle blooms from June to September.
Spreading
It grows along the edges of forests, along the banks of rivers and streams, in ravines, wastelands, in bushes, in shady forests, as a weed near homes and roads.
It grows in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Western Siberia, and is found in Eastern Siberia, the Far East and Central Asia. Widely distributed in all regions of the CIS.
Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
Nettle leaves (Urticae folia), collected during flowering, are used as medicinal raw materials. The leaves are cut off along with the stems, they are allowed to wither, when the pungency is lost, the leaves are torn off. Dry in well-ventilated areas or in dryers at a temperature of 40-50ºС.
Chemical composition
Nettle leaves contain carotenoids (β-carotene, violaxanthin, xanthophyll, xanthophyll epoxide); vitamins C, K, B1, B2; tannins (3.2%); chlorophyll (up to 5%); glycoside urticin, flavonoids (1.96%): quercetin, isorhamnetin, kaempferol; organic acids (oxalic, formic, fumaric, lactic, succinic, citric, quinic); phenolcarboxylic acids (caffeic acid, gallic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid); starch (up to 10%); alkaloids (0.010-0.29%): nicotine, histamine, acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine; coumarin esculetin; macro- and microelements.
Pharmacological properties
An infusion of nettle leaves has a hemostatic effect, increases uterine tone, normalizes the ovarian-menstrual cycle, reduces blood loss during menometrorrhagia, accelerates blood clotting, increases the content of hemoglobin, platelets and red blood cells in the peripheral blood. In addition, the plant has other medicinal properties. Medicinal forms of nettle have vasoconstrictor, choleretic, vitaminizing, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties, increase the regeneration processes of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.
Stinging nettle preparations activate metabolism, enhance the action of many enzymes and ferments, regulate the tone of the endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular and digestive systems of the body.
The hemostatic properties of the plant are associated with the presence of vitamin K in the leaves, which stimulates the production in the liver of one of the most important blood clotting factors - prothrombin.
The amount of active ingredients, mainly vitamins and iron salts contained in nettle, normalize lipid metabolism in the body and have a stimulating effect on the formation of red blood cells (erythropoiesis).
Nettle leaves enhance the activity of the digestive glands and the secretion of milk in nursing women, and have an insulin-like effect (significantly reduce sugar levels in the blood and urine).
Chlorophyll in nettle leaves is persistent, has a stimulating and tonic effect, enhances basic metabolism, and also increases muscle tone of the uterus and intestines, improves the activity of the cardiovascular system and respiratory center; stimulates granulation and epithelization of affected tissues.
In case of hemorrhagic metroendometritis, nettle promotes faster resorption and elimination of the inflammatory process.
An ointment based on nettle extract has many beneficial properties and is used for antibiotic-resistant skin diseases. The ointment has a phytoncidal effect on Staphylococcus aureus and hemolytic streptococcus.
Plant preparations can serve as a means of preventing atherosclerosis, anemia, bronchial asthma, and vitamin deficiency. In medicine, infusions, decoctions, steams, tinctures, extracts, teas, etc. are prepared from nettle leaves as a remedy.
Use in folk medicine
The medicinal properties of nettle have been known for a long time. Dioscorides recommended it for gastrointestinal disorders, purulent and allergic diseases. In the Middle Ages it was used for lead poisoning and kidney stones.
Ancient herbalists recommended it as an anti-fever and anti-cancer agent. Aqueous infusions of flowers, strong infusions of nettle leaves, decoctions of roots and rhizomes were used for various ailments: rheumatism, colds, asthma, kidney diseases, stomach diseases, malaria, dysentery, anemia, bleeding, helminthic infestation, etc.
The plant is used in folk medicine for uterine bleeding, leucorrhoea, and menstruation disorders. The plant was previously included in the pharmacopoeias of several countries and was widely used for medicinal purposes. Nettle was also used as an external hemostatic and wound healing agent. A decoction of the whole plant was used for washes and compresses for tumors. Dried and crushed leaves were used for nosebleeds, and fresh leaves were used to destroy warts. Nettle was also used as a skin irritant (that is, a reflex therapy factor).
In Russian folk medicine and folk medicine of other countries, the beneficial properties of aqueous infusion and decoction of nettle are used for diseases of the liver and biliary tract, kidney stones, dysentery, dropsy, chronic persistent constipation, colds, diseases of the respiratory organs, hemorrhoids, acute articular and muscular rheumatism , gout. Nettle infusion is also used as an internal “blood purifier” that improves blood composition in the treatment of various skin diseases (lichen, acne, boils).
Nettle flowers were used for respiratory diseases as an expectorant. In a mixture with other herbs, nettle was used for pulmonary tuberculosis. Nettle is distinguished by its ability to restore the sense of smell.
Literature
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