Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Lodz University of Technology, 171/173 Wolczanska, 90-924 Lodz, Poland.
Molecules. 2018 Jul 9;23(7):1664. doi: 10.3390/molecules23071664.
Nettles (genus , family Urticaceae) are of considerable interest as preservatives in foods for both human and animal consumption. They have also been used for centuries in traditional medicine. This paper reviews the properties of nettles that make them suitable for wider applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Nettles contain a significant number of biologically-active compounds. For example, the leaves are rich sources of terpenoids, carotenoids and fatty acids, as well as of various essential amino acids, chlorophyll, vitamins, tannins, carbohydrates, sterols, polysaccharides, isolectins and minerals. Extracts from the aerial parts of nettles are rich sources of polyphenols, while the roots contain oleanol acid, sterols and steryl glycosides. Due to the variety of phytochemicals and their proportions they contain, nettles show noticeable activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These properties make nettles suitable for a range of possible applications, including functional food, dietary supplements and pharmacological formulations. Despite these benefits, the nettle is still an underestimated plant source. This paper provides a unique overview of the latest research on nettle plants focusing on the possibilities for transforming a common weed into a commercial plant with a wide range of applications. Special attention is paid to the antimicrobial activity of the active compounds in nettles and to possible uses of these valuable plants in food and feed formulations.
荨麻（荨麻属，荨麻科）作为人类和动物食用的食品防腐剂具有相当大的意义。它们在传统医学中也已经使用了几个世纪。本文综述了荨麻的特性，这些特性使它们更适合在食品和制药行业中得到更广泛的应用。荨麻含有大量具有生物活性的化合物。例如，叶子富含萜类化合物、类胡萝卜素和脂肪酸，以及各种必需氨基酸、叶绿素、维生素、单宁、碳水化合物、甾醇、多糖、异凝集素和矿物质。荨麻地上部分的提取物是多酚的丰富来源，而根部则含有齐墩果酸、甾醇和甾基糖苷。由于含有多种植物化学物质及其比例不同，荨麻对革兰氏阳性菌和革兰氏阴性菌均表现出明显的活性。这些特性使荨麻适合于一系列可能的应用，包括功能性食品、膳食补充剂和药理学配方。尽管有这些好处，但荨麻仍然是一种被低估的植物来源。本文提供了荨麻植物最新研究的独特概述，重点介绍了将普通杂草转化为具有广泛应用的商业植物的可能性。特别关注荨麻中活性化合物的抗菌活性以及这些有价值的植物在食品和饲料配方中的可能用途。
