Abstract
The leaves of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) are used for medical purposes since centuries while the nettle roots are applied only in the last decades. According to the latest researches the root of nettle contains many important ingredients, for example scopoletin, sterols, fatty acids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, minerals, etc. The polyphenols have antioxidant effect, reduce the hematological disorders, but also have anti-cancer and anti-bacteriological effects. The H-donating ability expresses the antioxidant activity. In this study two kinds of extraction techniques and three kinds of solvents have been applied. The extraction techniques were: Soxhlet extraction with 96% ethanol, Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO2. All the measurements and the analysises were repeated three times. Comparing the yields of the three extraction methods it was established that the highest yield value was reached by Soxhlet extraction with ethanol. The Soxhlet extraction and the supercritical extraction has lower yield, the total polyphenol content and the H-donating ability of these extracts were low.
Highlights
Medical plants are largely investigated nowadays, because they are natural products with biologically active organic compounds, which usually are not aggressive, and do not cause severe side effects
The particle size distribution has some higher values below 0.15 mm. It means the structure of nettle root is not homogenous, lower (~0.15 mm) diameter particles appear in the chopped nettle root
The yield was defined as the dry matter content of the extract (DME) related to the initial dry matter content (DMC)
Summary
Medical plants are largely investigated nowadays, because they are natural products with biologically active organic compounds, which usually are not aggressive, and do not cause severe side effects. The medical herbs are applied in the folk therapy since centuries [1,2]. The stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a well-known herb, it can be found everywhere in Asia, Europe and in Hungary, as well. The nettle leafs are used since ancient times [3]. The most important effects of nettle are anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, hematological impacts [4], antibacterial effect [5], they are used for treatment of diabetes [2], cardiovascular deceases [4], rheumatic and allergic conditions [3], etc. In contrast with the widespread investigation of nettle leafs and flowers, the nettle roots are discovered only in the last decades [6,7]
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