Life-Saving Plant That Treats Hand Burns (Urtica Dioica L.)

People have used herbal remedies to treat diseases in ancient times, as well as today. The plant, popularly known as “nettle”, is one of the medicinal plants used by people since ancient times. Its botanical Latin name is Urtica dioica. Nettle (Urtica dioica sp.) is an annual or perennial herb of the Urticaceae family. Urtica dioica sp. grows in tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. While it grows mainly in temperate climates and tropical areas such as North America, North Africa, Europe and Western Asia in the world, in Turkey it can grow naturally in the forested areas of Anatolia, especially in the Black Sea region, along rivers, streams and roadsides, in moist soils, especially in the provinces of Giresun, Hakkari, Ankara, Antalya. The phytochemical composition of the plant varies depending on where it grows. Studies have shown that, nettle grown in temperate regions has a higher phenolic content and therefore has higher antioxidant activity. Nettle is consumed as a rich source of food due to its high vitamin and mineral content, and is also used in many other areas. All parts of the plant have been used in medicine, food, dyes, fertilizers and cosmetics from the past to the present due to its rich diversity, including saponins, phenolic compounds, phytosterols, tannins, fatty acids, chlorophylls, carotenoids, lignans, flavonolignans, proteins, polyproteins and saponins. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of nettle in the cosmetics and food sectors. In addition, it can be said that, the use of nettle has become widespread worldwide with its inclusion in food additives. Nettle is known by different names in different countries; the English called it “Nettle”, the Romans called it “Urtica”, the Italians called it “Ortica”, the French called it “Ortie”, the Germans called it “Brennessel” and the Spanish called it “Ortiga”. Urtica comes from the Latin words “urere” (to bite) and “uro” (to burn). In Anglo-Saxon, it means “nettle” (needle). Urtica dioica is a weed and its seeds, leaves and even roots are used for medicinal purposes. It is a sensitive storehouse of micronutrients and nutrients, which makes us focus our research on this herb. Despite its usefulness, its leaves are easily digestible and are rich in high minerals (especially iron), vitamin C and vitamin A provitamins. This comprehensive review is an attempt to summarize the latest information on the nutritional, pharmacological and clinical effects of U. dioica, taking into account the increasing demand of patients for the use of natural products with antioxidant activity, antidiabetic activity and potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The consideration of nutritional properties is also an important aspect, since every person needs general nutritional support to stay well or be optimally healthy.