While conventional medicine has advanced in recent years, there are still concerns about its potential adverse reactions. The ethnopharmacological knowledge established over many centuries and the existence of a variety of metabolites have made medicinal plants, such as the stinging nettle plant, an invaluable resource for treating a wide range of health conditions, considering its minimal adverse effects on human health. The aim of this review is to highlight the therapeutic benefits and biological activities of the edible Urtica dioica (UD) plant with an emphasis on its selective chemo-preventive properties against various types of cancer, whereby we decipher the mechanism of action of UD on various cancers including prostate, breast, leukemia, and colon in addition to evaluating its antidiabetic, microbial, and inflammatory properties. We further highlight the systemic protective effects of UD on the liver, reproductive, excretory, cardiovascular, nervous, and digestive systems. We present a critical assessment of the results obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials to highlight the gaps that require further exploration for future prospective studies.

Urtica dioica L. (UD), also known as the stinging nettle, has long been used in traditional medicine for its wide range of health benefits. The current study focuses on the effect of nettle tea on the growth and proliferation of one of the most aggressive ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line, SKOV-3 cells. To examine this, cytotoxicity, cell cycle analysis, and ROS assays were performed, along with Annexin V/PI dual staining, cell death ELISA, Western blot analysis, and motility assays. The results showed that a UD aqueous extract (UDAE) can inhibit the growth and proliferation of SKOV-3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner by promoting cellular fragmentation. This was accompanied by an increase in two apoptotic hallmarks, the flipping of phosphatidylserine to the outer membrane leaflet and DNA fragmentation as revealed by cell death ELISA. This aqueous extract showed a pro-oxidant activity while also activating the extrinsic caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway with no alteration in autophagy markers. Furthermore, the extract showed promising inhibitory effect on the migratory capacities of aggressive ovarian cancer cells, in vitro.