Socfindo Conservation

Stinging Nettle

Laportea interrupta (L.) Chew

Urticaceae

Location in our garden

Stinging Nettle 1Stinging Nettle 2Stinging Nettle 3

Overview

Monoceous plant grows wild in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands. The plant were covered with stinging hairs that irritate the skin, particularly towards the top. The plant is harvested for local medicinal use. The leaves of this plant is used in tea preparation (nettle tea) and widely consumed by Philippines.

Vernacular Names

Song ye ma (Chinese), Bichaataa (Hindi), Lipang-aso (Philippine), Han kai (Thailand), Huriaeo (Tahitian), jelatang ayam (Indonesia).

Agroecology

It grows at partially shaded places in disturbed habitats, evergreen rainforest and riverine forest at low altitudes. It finds as weed of cultivation. 

Morphology

  • Stem - erect, angular, covered with pilose hair or stinging hairs, green and succulent.
  • Leaves - alternate, 4-10 x 3-5 cm, broadly ovate, base rounded or subcordate, margin coarsely serrate, apex acuminate, sparsely hairy, membranous, 3-nerved from base; petiole to 8 cm long.
  • Flowers - in short, cymose clusters aggregated in slender lax, axillary spikes to 13 cm long. Male flowers: tepals 4, c. 1 mm long, ovate, concave; stamens 4, filaments unequal; pistillode linear, clavate. Female flowers: tepals 4, unequal, basally connate into a cup; ovary obliquely attached, ovoid, style lateral, filiform.
  • Fruits - Achenes c. 1.75 mm. long, ovoid, laterally compressed, with a circular ridge surrounding a rugose central part, not stipitate, shed without the perianth.

Cultivation

It grows as a weed, but can be propagated by seed. The seed is wind dispersal. 

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, sterols, glycoside, phenolic, steroids, saponins, xanthophylls, phycobilins, coumarins, carotenoids.

Benefits

Medicinal Uses

  • The leaf extract is used in fevers, rheumatic pain and headache.
  • It is one of the commonly recommended herbal medicines to aid in pregnancy in traditional medicine system of Philippines.
  • Stinging hairs at the leaves has been reported for treating skin irritation, swelling, and intense itching.

Traditional Uses

Leaves extract is nematicidal.

Simplisia

  • Cuci bersih daun yang masih segar.
  • Lalu keringkan daun dengan menjemur di bawah sinar matahari (3-4 hari) atau mengeringkan daun di udara terbuka (kira-kira 7 hari).
  • Setelah kering haluskan daun, kemas dalam kemasan kedap udara.

Plant Parts Used

Stinging Nettle part 1
Stinging Nettle part 2
Stinging Nettle part 3

Traditional Recipes

1. Sakit kepala

1. 1. Sakit kepala

  • Siapkan daun gatal secukupnya.
  • Cuci hingga bersih dengan air mengalir.
  • Haluskan hingga menjadi pasta.
  • Tempelkan pada dahi.
2. Hipertiroid

2. 2. Hipertiroid

  • Ambil 2-3 sdm serbuk daun yang sudah dikeringkan.
  • Tambahkan ke dalam 1 cangkir air panas.
  • Diamkan 10-15 menit, saring.
  • Beri madu secukupnya. Minum 2 kali sehari selama 2-3 minggu.

Reference Sources

  1. Fern, Ken (2019). Useful Tropical Plants). Laportea interrupta. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Laportea+interrupta. 21-02-2021.
  2. Biodiversity India. (2018). India Biodiversity Portal. Laportea interrupta (L.) Chew. https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230186. 21-02-2021.
  3. Selvam, Nataraja Thamizh, K., R. Surabhi, and V., Acharya M. (2016). Ethnomedicinal Value of Laportea interrupta L. Chew: A Review. International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research (IJPSR) Vol. 7(5): 245-249.
  4. JSTOR. (No date). Global Plants. Compilation Laportea interrupta. https://plants.jstor.org/compilation/Laportea.interrupta 21-02-2021.
  5. Krishna, C.S., Sajeesh, T. and Parimelazhagan, T. (2014). Evaluation of nutraceutical properties of Laportea interrupta (L.) chew. Food Sci Biotechnol Vol. 23, 577–585. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10068-014-0079-3. 21-02-2021.
  6. Uddin, Md. Nashir, Or-Rashid, Md. Harun, and Sultana, Razia et.al. (2016). ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF LAPORTEA INTERRUPTA LINN. Jagannath University Journal of Life and Earth Sciences, Vol. 2 (1 & 2). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323771567_ANTIMICROBIAL_AND_ANTIOXIDANT_ACTIVITIES_OF_LAPORTEA_INTERRUPTA_LINN. 21-02-2021.
  7. Stuartxchange. (2021). Philippine Medicinal Plants. Lipang-aso. http://www.stuartxchange.com/Lipang-aso.html. 21-02-2021.

  8. Van Vaklenbrug JLCH. 2002. Laportea Gaudich. In: van Valkenburg, J.L.C.H. and Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(2).