Urtica dioica Aqueous Leaf Extract: Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Activities

Dakhli, Nouha; López-Jiménez, Auxiliadora; Cárdenas, Casimiro; Hraoui, Manel; Dhaouafi, Jihene; Bernal, Manuel; Sebai, Hichem; Medina, Miguel Ángel

doi:10.3390/ijms26031220

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Urtica dioica Aqueous Leaf Extract: Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Activities

by

Nouha Dakhli

¹,

Auxiliadora López-Jiménez

²,

Casimiro Cárdenas

²

,

Manel Hraoui

¹,

Jihene Dhaouafi

^1,3,

Manuel Bernal

^4,5

,

Hichem Sebai

^1,* and

Miguel Ángel Medina

^4,5,6,*

¹

Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bio-Ressources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Beja, University of Jendouba, Beja 382-9000, Tunisia

²

Research Support Central Services (SCAI), University of Málaga, E-29071 Málaga, Spain

³

UMR Transfrontalière BioEcoAgro N°1158, Université Lille, INRAE, Université Liège, UPJV, YNCREA, Université Artois, Université Littoral Côte d’Opale, ICV-Institut Charles Viollette, F-59000 Lille, France

⁴

Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Andalucía Tech, E-29071 Málaga, Spain

⁵

Málaga Biomedical Research Institute and Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND), C/Severo Ochoa, 35, E-29590 Málaga, Spain

⁶

Network Biomedical Research Center for Rare Diseases (CIBERER), U741, E-28029 Málaga, Spain

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031220

Submission received: 30 December 2024 / Revised: 22 January 2025 / Accepted: 28 January 2025 / Published: 30 January 2025

(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Papers in Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics)

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Abstract

Urtica dioica L. has been used as a natural remedy due to its healing properties for over 2000 years. The aim of this study is to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antitumor properties in vitro of the aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaves (AEUD). The chemical composition was assessed by an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to a benchtop QExactive high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry operating in a data-dependent acquisition mode as a non-target approach. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disc diffusion were used to assess the antibacterial efficacy against nine bacterial strains. The antioxidant impact was assessed using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and ferrous ion-chelating ability assays. By using the MTT method, the cytotoxicity effect of AEUD on colon cancer cell HCT-116 was evaluated. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle. Finally, the anti-migration and anti-invasion properties of AEUD on HCT-116 cells were estimated using the wound healing test and Transwell assays. AEUD is a rich source of phenolic compounds. The results of disc diffusion and MIC showed that the AEUD is more active against Gram-positive bacteria than against Gram-negative bacteria. MTT assay confirmed that the AEUD inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell proliferation. Findings of flow cytometry confirmed that cell cycle arrest occurred at the G2 phase. Additionally, AEUD had anti-migration and anti-invasion effects. This study shows that Urtica dioica aqueous leaf extract exhibits potential antibacterial, antioxidant, and antitumoral activities on HCT-116 colon cancer cells.

Keywords: Urtica dioica; antibacterial activities; antioxidant activities; antitumoral activities; HCT-116; colon cancer

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MDPI and ACS Style

Dakhli, N.; López-Jiménez, A.; Cárdenas, C.; Hraoui, M.; Dhaouafi, J.; Bernal, M.; Sebai, H.; Medina, M.Á. Urtica dioica Aqueous Leaf Extract: Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Activities. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 1220. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031220

AMA Style

Dakhli N, López-Jiménez A, Cárdenas C, Hraoui M, Dhaouafi J, Bernal M, Sebai H, Medina MÁ. Urtica dioica Aqueous Leaf Extract: Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Activities. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(3):1220. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031220

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dakhli, Nouha, Auxiliadora López-Jiménez, Casimiro Cárdenas, Manel Hraoui, Jihene Dhaouafi, Manuel Bernal, Hichem Sebai, and Miguel Ángel Medina. 2025. "Urtica dioica Aqueous Leaf Extract: Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Activities" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 3: 1220. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031220

APA Style

Dakhli, N., López-Jiménez, A., Cárdenas, C., Hraoui, M., Dhaouafi, J., Bernal, M., Sebai, H., & Medina, M. Á. (2025). Urtica dioica Aqueous Leaf Extract: Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Activities. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(3), 1220. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031220

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Urtica dioica Aqueous Leaf Extract: Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Activities

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