Beneficial effect of the Urtica dioica aqueous extract on the crystallization of calcium oxalate in urine

Background: Urtica dioica, belongs to the family of Urticaceae, is widely spread in the world. It is known as one of the most famous medical plants and the more useful. The aim of this research is to quantify the polyphenolic aqueous extract of parts of the U. dioica in the region of Boumerdes and evaluate the antioxidant activity and antilithiasis activity. Materials and Methods: The antioxidant activity of the leaves extract was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl ’s method. The antilithiasis activity followed by an observation on electronic microscope to be scanned. Results and Discussion: Phytochemical screening revealed worth parts in secondary metabolites (polyphenols). The extraction yield of polyphenols is from 2.8% for 20 g of vegetal powder, with a concentration of 126.28 mg EAG/g powders for all the parts. By coincidence, the obtained results show that the aqueous polyphenolic extract has an important antioxidant power, and of an antilithiasic effect, in particular, the crystallization of calcium oxalate in the urine. In fact, the observation in scanning electron microscope found that the augmentation of the extract concentration favored the reduction in the size of the crystals from 17 μm to 5 μm. Conclusion: These results indicate that aqueous extract from the leaves of U. dioica L. possesses significant antioxidant and antilithiasic potential, deserves to be valued by its integration into therapeutic applications.