title: Urtica dioica attenuates ovalbumin-induced inflammation and lipid peroxidation of lung tissues in rat asthma model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To find bioactive medicinal herbs exerting anti-asthmatic activity, we investigated the effect of an aqueous extract of Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae) leaves (UD), the closest extract to the Algerian traditional use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we investigated the in vivo anti-asthmatic and antioxidant activities of nettle extract.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Group I: negative control; group II: Ovalbumin sensitized/challenged rats (positive control); group III: received UD extract (1.5 g/kg/day) orally along the experimental protocol; group IV: received UD extract (1.5 g/kg/day) orally along the experimental protocol and sensitized/challenged with ovalbumin. After 25 days, blood and tissue samples were collected for haematological and histopathological analysis, respectively. The oxidative stress parameters were evaluated in the lungs, liver and erythrocytes. Then, correlations between markers of airway inflammation and markers of oxidative stress were explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UD extract significantly (p < 0.01) inhibited eosinophilia increases in BALF (-60%) and the levels of leucocytes (-32.75%) and lymphocytes (-29.22%) in serum, and effectively suppressed inflammatory cells recruitment in the asthmatic rat model. Besides, the lipid peroxidation generated by allergen administration was significantly (p < 0.05) diminished by UD treatment in lung tissue (-48.58%). The nettle extract was also investigated for the total phenolic content (30.79 ± 0.96 mg gallic acid/g dry extract) and shows DPPH radical scavenging activity with 152.34 ± 0.37 μg/mL IC50value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirmed that UD administration might be responsible for the protective effects of this extract against airway inflammation.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology , Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar , Annaba , Algeria.|b Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology , Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar , Annaba , Algeria.
authors.forename: Hanene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zemmouri
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology , Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar , Annaba , Algeria.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sekiou
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Environment, National Engineering School of Sfax , Sfax , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sonda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.affiliation: d Faculty of Sciences of Sfax , Laboratory of Animal Ecophysiology , Sfax , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Abdelfattah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Feki
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Environment, National Engineering School of Sfax , Sfax , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouaziz
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology , Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar , Annaba , Algeria.
authors.forename: Mahfoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messarah
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology , Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar , Annaba , Algeria.
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boumendjel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010047:Ovalbumin; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010636:Phenols / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D026982:Urtica dioica / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D010636:Phenols; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010047:Ovalbumin; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl
keywords: Anti-asthmatic; airway inflammation; nettle; oxidative stress; polyphenols