title: Extraction and HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds in leaves, stalks, and textile fibers of Urtica dioica L.
abstract: In the present study the phenolic composition of leaves, stalks, and textile fiber extracts from Urtica dioica L. is described. Taking into account the increasing demand for textile products made from natural fibers and the necessity to create sustainable "local" processing chains, an Italian project was funded to evaluate the cultivation of nettle fibers in the region of Tuscany. The leaves of two nettle samples, cultivated and wild (C and W), contain large amounts of chlorogenic and 2- O-caffeoylmalic acid, which represent 71.5 and 76.5% of total phenolics, respectively. Flavonoids are the main class in the stalks: 54.4% of total phenolics in C and 31.2% in W samples. Anthocyanins are second in quantitative importance and are present only in nettle stalks: 28.6% of total phenolics in C and 24.4% in W extracts. Characterization of phenolic compounds in nettle extracts is an important result with regard to the biological properties (antioxidant and antiradical) of these metabolites for their possible applications in various industrial activities, such as food/feed, cosmetics, phytomedicine, and textiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy. patrizia.pinelli@unifi.it
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinelli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ieri
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vignolini
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bacci
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baronti
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romani
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013784:Textiles / Q000032:analysis*; D026982:Urtica dioica / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols