ABSTRACT

Urtica dioica L. (Urticacea) is widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of the world. Leaves of the plant recommended not only for the complaints associated with rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes but also lıave antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities. It is also used as traditional medicine as panacea in Turkey. Despite, Ü. dioica leaf is monographed in European Plıannacopeia as “Nettle Leaf - Urtica folkun” and standardized by liquid clıroınatography for its chlorogenic acid content; aerial parts of plants are sold instead of leaves at the herbal shops for medical purposes in Turkey. The objective of our study is to detennine quality of samples and compare the chlorogenic acid amount in aerial parts and leaves collected from different localities of Anatolia. Extraction procedure was employed according to European Plıannacopeia 6.0. /ı-Coumaric acid was used as intemal standart. RP-HPLC was perfonned in order to detennine chlorogenic acid amounts. The leaf samples collected from Düzce, Maraş, Işık Mountain and Palandöken Mountain has possesed highest chlorogenic acid amounts 1.91±0.0003%, 1.156±0.0019%, 0.67±0.00068%, 0.63±0.0024% respectively. However amount of chlorogenic acid in aerial parts of saıne samples has been found 1.047+0.0007%, 0.751±0.0033%, 0.31±0.0085%, 0.488±0.0051% respectively. Results indicate tlıat in ali samples, clılorogenic acid content has been found lıigher in leaves tlıan aerial parts. Present study revealed that usage of the aerial parts instead of leaves for medical purposes isn’t appropriate.