Therapeutic Perspectives of Molecules from Urtica dioica Extracts for Cancer Treatment

Abstract

A large range of chronic and degenerative diseases can be prevented through the use of food products and food bioactives. This study reports the health benefits and biological activities of the Urtica dioica (U. dioica) edible plant, with particular focus on its cancer chemopreventive potential. Numerous studies have attempted to investigate the most efficient anti-cancer therapy with few side effects and high toxicity on cancer cells to overcome the chemoresistance of cancer cells and the adverse effects of current therapies. In this regard, natural products from edible plants have been assessed as sources of anti-cancer agents. In this article, we review current knowledge from studies that have examined the cytotoxic, anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of U. dioica plant on several human cancers. Special attention has been dedicated to the treatment of breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer among women and one of the main causes of death worldwide. The anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of U. dioica have been demonstrated on different human cancers, investigating the properties of U. dioica at cellular and molecular levels. The potent cytotoxicity and anti-cancer activity of the U. dioica extracts are due to its bioactive natural products content, including polyphenols which reportedly possess anti-oxidant, anti-mutagenic and anti-proliferative properties. The efficacy of this edible plant to prevent or mitigate human cancers has been demonstrated in laboratory conditions as well as in experimental animal models, paving the way to the development of nutraceuticals for new anti-cancer therapies.

Nettle Tea Inhibits Growth of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells In Vitro by Promoting Apoptosis

“…Despite all these studied effects of UD extracts, data showing clinical evidence for its anti-cancer effect are scarce and limited to a few in vitro studies on breast, prostate, and, recently, lung cancer cell lines, in addition to some animal models, that involved different formulations of UD leaf extract [ 17 , 18 ]. For instance, a study conducted by Mohammadi et al showed that the dichloromethane extract of UD leaves inhibited the growth and proliferation of human prostate cancer cells (PC3), with an IC 50 concentration of 15.54 µg/mL after 48 h of treatment [ 19 ]. In addition, recent studies have focused on its synergistic effect on cancer cell lines when combined with standard chemotherapy [ 20 ].…”

Określenie profilu kwasów tłuszczowych w wyciągach uzyskanych za pomocą ekstrakcji dwutlenkiem węgla w stanie nadkrytycznym z liści pokrzywy zwyczajnej (Urtica dioica L.)

“…Tłoczenie jest odpowiednią metodą pozyskiwania oleju z roślin oleistych o dużej zawartości kwasów tłuszczowych, jednak nie jest efektywne w przypadku roślin z mniejszą ich zawartością. Z tego względu w niniejszej pracy zastosowano ekstrakcję za pomocą dwutlenku węgla w stanie nadkrytycznym do pozyskania kwasów tłuszczowych z liści pokrzywy zwyczajnej o znanych właściwościach prozdrowotnych [2,4,6].…”

Serenoa repens and Urtica dioica Fixed Combination: In-Vitro Validation of a Therapy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

“…Recent meta-analyses showed that the effectiveness of Serenoa repens is similar or slightly inferior compared to finasteride and tamsulosin, but clearly higher than the placebo in the treatment of mild and moderate low urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), nocturia, and discomfort [21]. The combination with Urtica dioica has been proposed according to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities [22,23]. In particular, we investigated whether the combination of Urtica dioica and Serenoa repens extracts permits the reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress in an in vitro cell model of prostatic hyperplasia (BPH-1 cell line).…”