Table 13.

In vivo studies of the genus Urtica.

Extract/compound	Doses	Route of administration	Model	Effect	Reference
Antiarthritis effect
Total coumarins from Urtica dentata Hand	20, 40, 60 mg/kg	Orally every other day for 4 weeks after induction of arthritis	Collagen-induced arthritis BALB/c mice model	Dose-dependent ↓ arthritis score ↓paw swelling protect tissues against bone destruction ↓IFN-g, ↓IL-2 ↑IL-10, ↑TGF-B	[63]
Antioxidant effect
Total 80% ethanolic extract of Urtica dioica L. leaves	50, 100 mg/kg	Orally daily for 14 days	Normal Swiss albino mouse model	↑cytochrome b5, ↑NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase, ↑glutathione S-transferase, ↑DT-diaphorase, ↑glutathione peroxidase, ↑glutathione reductase, ↑superoxide dismutase, ↑catalase ↓cytochrome P450, ↓lactate dehydrogenase, ↓NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, ↓total sulfhydryl groups, ↓nonprotein sulfhydryl groups, ↓protein-bound sulfhydryl groups	[64]
Antidiabetic effect
Hexane, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts of Urtica pilulifera	Two doses: 250 and 500 mg/kg	Orally daily for 4 weeks starting from day11 of diabetes induction	Streptozotocin and high-fat diet-induced type2 diabetes adult male albino rat model	Hypoglycemic effect - ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts ↓glucose level, ↓HbA1C, ↓ insulin resistance anti-inflammatory: ↓CRP, ↓TNF-α antioxidant: ↓MDA, ↑GSH, ↑SOD, ↑catalase	[65]
ZnO nanoparticles + aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaves	ZnO + extract: 8 mg/dl	Intraperitoneally daily for 16 days	Alloxan-induced diabetic rat model	Both ZnO-extract and insulin (reference) ↓fasting blood glucose level in serum, while increased insulin level. ZnO-extract: ↑high-density lipoprotein ↓total cholesterol, ↓triglycerides	[66]
Antiendometriosis effect
Hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Urtica dioica L. aerial parts	100 mg/kg	Orally for 4 weeks	Surgery-induced endometriosis rat model	Methanol extract: ↓implant volumes, ↓adhesion scores ↓TNF-α, ↓VEGF, ↓IL-6; histopathological outcomes supported the results	[67]
Effect on prostate hyperplasia
Polysaccharide fraction of Urtica fissa	62.5, 125, 250 mg/kg	Orally daily for 3 weeks	Testosterone propionate-induced prostate hyperplasia castrated rat model	↓prostate hyperplasia the lowest dose (62.5 mg/kg)-↓ indexes of wet weight,↓ dry weight , ↓volume by 17%, 23% and 32% highest dose (250 mg/kg)-↓indexes of wet weight, dry weight, ↓volume were further reduced by 25%, 33% and 37%; histopathological examination supported the results	[68]
Effect on nephrotoxicity
Total 95% ethanol extract of Urtica dioica	Dose: 100 mg/kg	Orally daily for 10 days	Gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in male rabbit model	↓ serum creatinine, ↓blood urea, ↓ nitrogen antioxidant-↑glutathione, ↓malondialdehyde	[69]
Antiviral effect
Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA)	Three doses: 20, 10, 5 mg/kg	Intraperitoneally daily for 4 days	SARS-CoV- infected BALB/c mouse model	Treatment with UDA at dose 5 mg/kg significantly sheltered the mice against lethal infection with the virus but did not decrease virus titers in the lung; prevented weight loss and lung pathology scores of infected mice	[70]
Antiaging effect
Total extract (50% ethanol) of Urtica thunbergiana leaves	Two doses: 0.1% and 1% g/kg of the animals' dry diet	Orally for 10 weeks	UVB-induced skin aging hairless mouse model	↓thinner and superficial wrinkles ↓erythema index ↑skin hydration; histopathological investigations supported the results	[71]
Anticancer effect
Dichloromethane extract of Urtica dioica	Two doses: 10 and 20 mg/kg	Intraperitoneally daily for 28 days	4T1 (breast cancer cell line) allograft tumor BALB/c mouse model	↓tumor size and weight. ↑apoptosis, ↓proliferation. ↓Bcl2, ↑caspase 3; histopathology examinations supported the results	[72]

Symbols: ↑ increase, ↓decrease.