PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF URTICA URENS L. GROWING IN EGYPT

Abstract

Phytochemical investigation of Urtica urens L. aerial parts resulted in isolation of kaempferol 3,7-di-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnoside (kaempferitrin), tryptophan and adenosine for the first time from this species; in addition to $\beta$-sitosterol, $\beta$-sitosterol-3-O-$\beta$-D-glucoside, scopoletin, quercetin and succinic acid. The chemical structure of the compounds was determined using different spectroscopic techniques including UV, IR, EI-MS, ¹HNMR and ¹³CNMR. Antioxidant, cytotoxic and anti-hyperglycemic activities of Urtica urens L. family Urticaceae were investigated. By using DPPH radical scavenging method and quercetin as standard antioxidant compound, the methanol extract of the aerial parts showed a significant antioxidant activity. Cytotoxic activity using SRB assay method was carried out on the total methanol extract in addition to four different fractions (petroleum ether, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate and n-butanol) against four different cell lines. The ethyl acetate and the n-butanol fractions have the highest cytotoxic activity against HEPG2 and PC3 cell lines with percent inhibition 74% and 87% respectively in the single dose experiment. The results showed that the ethyl acetate fraction is more potent than doxorubicin against HEPG2 cell line and the n-butanol fraction is less potent than doxorubicin against PC3 cell line. Urtica urens L. aerial parts methanol extract showed anti-diabetic activity and improved other biochemical and histopathological parameters in STZ- induced diabetic rats compared to glibenclamide as standard.