Physicochemical Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Wild Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.)

Abstract

Urtica dioica L. (wild stinging nettle) is a plant traditionally used as a food source and medicinal plant and is known to contain various bioactive compounds. This study aimed to characterize a 70% ethanolic extract of U. dioica based on quality parameters, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. The roots, stems, and leaves of U. dioica were combined and extracted by maceration for 3 × 24 h. Extract characterization included the determination of moisture and ash contents using gravimetric methods, total flavonoid content using an aluminum chloride colorimetric method with quercetin as the reference standard, and antioxidant activity using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay. The extraction yielded 9.95% based on the dry weight of the simplicia. The extract showed a moisture content of 19.71 ± 0.29%, ash content of 32.13 ± 0.96%, and total flavonoid content of 1.8765 ± 0.0079 g quercetin equivalents (QE)/100 g sample, corresponding to 18.77 mg QE/g extract. The antioxidant assay showed 66.54 ± 0.11% inhibition of DPPH radicals under the experimental conditions used. These findings provide baseline information on the physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics of the combined root, stem, and leaf extract of U. dioica, supporting further research on extract standardization and identification of its bioactive constituents.