Exploring the Urtica dioica Leaves Hemostatic and Wound-Healing Potential

Biomed Res Int. 2017:2017:1047523. doi: 10.1155/2017/1047523. Epub 2017 Oct 17.

Abstract

The present paper investigated the efficiency of Urtica dioica (U. dioica) on hemostatic and wound healing activities. U. dioica leaf extracts were evaluated for their antibacterial and antioxidant effects as well as their flavonoid and polyphenol content. The hydroethanolic extract (EtOH-H2OE), showing the most potent antibacterial and antioxidant activities in vitro, thanks to its flavonoid and polyphenol richness, was selected for hemostatic and wound healing evaluation. Twenty-four rats completing full-thickness wounds were split into four groups. The wounds were topically treated with saline solution, glycerol, "CICAFLORA," and U. dioica EtOH-H2OE (50 µL/mm2) until day 11. The wound healing effect was assessed by macroscopic, histological, and biochemical parameters. Rats treated with EtOH-H2OE showed fast wound closure (92.39%) compared to the control animals (60.91%) on the 11th day of wounding (P < 0.01). Histopathological and biochemical explorations showed full epidermal regeneration and an improvement of the hydroxyproline content in the U. dioica EtOH-H2OE treated rats. Analysis of fatty acids and sterols by GC-MS showed the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and a high concentration of lupeol known for their involvement in reepithelialization. These results prove the efficiency of U. dioica EtOH-H2OE in wound healing and supported its traditional use.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Topical
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antioxidants / administration & dosage
  • Antioxidants / chemistry
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Hemostatics / administration & dosage
  • Hemostatics / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Polyphenols / chemistry
  • Rats
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / pathogenicity
  • Urtica dioica / chemistry*
  • Wound Healing / drug effects*
  • Wounds and Injuries / drug therapy*
  • Wounds and Injuries / microbiology
  • Wounds and Injuries / pathology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Flavonoids
  • Hemostatics
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polyphenols