Urtica dioica: prospects for medical use

We present data for the properties of nettle (Urtica dioica), growing practically in all territory of Russian Federation. Dried leaves of nettle are officinal in Russia and allowed to medical use as a haemostatic and multivitamin agents. Preparations made from nettle leaves widely used as hemostatic agent in uterine and gastrointestinal bleeding in the official medical practice. Due to the content of biogenic amines, galenical preparations on the basis of nettle increase the contractile ability of uterine unstriated muscles, similar to ergot. There are a number of other indications for the use of nettle. We present the state in which the use of nettle is contraindicated.

nettle, hemostatic agents, multivitamin agents, uterine bleeding