The potential of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) as a crop with multiple uses

Abstract

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a well-known plant species that is considered a weed in intensive agriculture. This crop has gained the interest both scientifically and commercially because it is the source of many added-value natural products by exploiting all the plant parts (stem, leaves, roots and seeds). The main objective of this article is to describe-along with unpublished data-information that is spread in different sources, giving an updated and comprehensive overview of the potential end-products, covering aspects related to the whole plant production chain, and at the same time, providing unpublished data collected under different projects.The effects of nettle cultivation on the environment are potentially favourable, it being a perennial low-requirement crop (it can reach about 3–12Mgha−1 dry stalk yield with low inputs). Stinging nettle has a long history as a textile fibre; its fibre quality has been demonstrated (e.g. cellulose content around 86%) and is highly depending on the extraction method. Furthermore, several studies confirmed the presence of numerous active compounds, especially in nettle leaves (e.g. caffeic acid derivative compounds, ceramides, nine forms of carotenoids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, phytosterols, glycosides and proteins), with most promising application in the food/feed, medicinal and cosmetic sectors. Although with high market potentials, the products made from nettle are currently more a result of curiosity rather than large-scale industrial production, mostly due to lack in crop and post-harvest management. The definition of a production chain able to exploit the plant biomass as much as possible is a prerequisite to increase income and boost farmers’ adoption, and to attract investors.