Pharmacognostic Evaluation and Antioxidant Activity of Urtica dioica L.

Abstract

Background: Urtica dioica L. is a common Himalayan species which produces allergenic substances causing oedema and inflammation in humans. It has become a source of folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases. The leaves and roots both are used internally as a blood purifier and diuretic and an infusion of the plant is used for nasal and men-strual haemorrhage, diabetes, rheumatism, eczema, anaemia, hair loss, as an expectorant and antidiarrhoeal. Present study includes pharmacognostic evaluation, antioxidant activity and HPTLC analysis of Urtica dioica L. Methods: Pharmacognostic evaluation of aerial part of U. dioica has been performed as per Indian pharmacopoeia. In vitro anti-oxidant evaluation of U. dioica has been performed using DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Ferulic acid, a potential phenolic antioxidant present in this species, has been studied through HPTLC. Results: U. dioica hydro-alcoholic extract shows positive results for antioxidant activity with IC 50 value of 88.33 ± 2.88 µg/ml. Standard ascorbic acid showed IC 50 value of 2.8 ± 0.62 µg/ml. Ferulic acid was identified at R f 0.61 ± 0.01 and quantified to 0.73% in this species through CAMAG HPTLC analysis. Conclusion: The pharmacognostical parameters reported can be considered as quality standards of U. dioica in herbal industry. Hydro-alcoholic extract of U. dioica showed positive in vitro antioxi-dant activity. Presence of phenolic compound suggests that antioxidant activity may be due to ferulic acid content.