URTICA DIOICA (STINGING NETTLE): A REVIEW OF ITS CHEMICAL, PHARMACOLOGICAL, TOXICOLOGICAL AND ETHNOMEDICAL PROPERTIES

Seliya Mamta*, Kothiyal Preeti

Medicinal plants existing even before human being made their appearance on the earth. The raw materials for ayurvedic medicine were mostly obtained from plant sources in the form of crude drugs .There has been a rich heritage of ethnobotanical usage of herbs by various colorful tribal communities in the country. Plants are rich source of many natural products, most of which have been extensively used for human welfare. Owing to rich medicinal properties, Urtica dioica (L) commonly known as stinging nettle of family urticaceae has a long history of use in the home as an herbal remedy since ancient times.Various parts of the plant have been used in ayurvedic preparations by vaidyas for curing various ailments. As a useful first-aid remedy it is used in the treatment of ailments such as bites and stings, burns, hives and breast feeding problems. Nettle is not only a weed but an important medicinal herb and this present review deals with chemical,pharmacological,ethnomedical and toxicological aspects of this medicinal herb and it also provides supportive evidence about the therapeutic effects.