ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION DEGREE CHANGES THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF NETTLE PLANT EXTRACTS IN CHICKENS

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 84 - 89, 25.12.2023

Vasiu Aurel Carmen Sandru Marina Spinu Emilia Ungureanu Florina Marian Silvana Popescu Alexandra Oprescu Ciprian Ilasca

https://doi.org/10.38093/cupmap.1337889

Abstract

The positive effects of plants, including stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) were reported by numerous researchers (1) as well as changes in the chemical composition of the plant due to heavy metal pollution (2, 3). This study aimed to compare the changes in body wight, total leukocyte numbers (TL) and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) in 28 days old chickens (n=12/group) injected subcutaneously twice (days 0 and 7), with 0.5 ml of alcoholic nettle extracts harvested from both unpolluted (group III) and polluted areas (group IV), against untreated (group I) and 700 alcohol treated (group II) controls. Blood was sampled three times, on days 0, 7 and 14, while the wattle test to a homologous lymphocyte suspension was performed on day 14 of the experiment.
There were no significant differences in weight gain/period between groups III (0.979 kg) and IV (0.967kg), against each other and controls (0.991 kg-group II and 1.029 kg - group I, respectively). As opposed to the slight changes of the TL in control groups, there was a constant increase in group III (from 15,400±3,421/mm3 to 17,125±4,231/mm3) and a decrease in group IV (17,611.1±2,401/mm3 to 17,166.7±2,522/mm3).
The wattle test results after 48 h were similar in groups I, II and IV, the differences ranging between 0.23 and 0.28 mm, while the unpolluted nettle extract diminished the DTH to a difference of 0.07 mm.
The polluted nettle extract induced the lowest weight gain and TL numbers, and increased the wattle reactivity when compared to the unpolluted one.

Keywords

Urtica dioica L.chickens, weight, leukocytes, adaptive immunity, wattle test

Thanks

The authors wish to thank for laboratory assistance to biotechnologist Eng. Elena Marian and for technical support to senior technician Traian Jucan.

References

• 1] Balzarini, J., Neyts, J., Schols, D., Hosoya, M., Van Damme, E., Peumans, W., & De Clercq, E. (1992). The mannose-specific plant lectins from Cymbidium hybrid and Epipactis helleborine and the (N-acetylglucosamine)n-specific plant lectin from Urtica dioica are potent and selective inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus and cytomegalovirus replication in vitro. Antiviral research, 18(2), 191–207. DOI.org/10.1016/0166-3542(92)90038-7
• 2] Bolfă, P., Cătoi, C., Gal, A., Taulescu, M., Fiţ, N., Nadaş, G., Niculae, M., Tămaş, M., Cuc, C., Spînu,, M. (2011). Screening of five alcoholic plants extracts effects on the immune status of Romanian EIAV infected horses. Romanian Biotechnological Letters Vol. 16, No. 6, p. 6730-6739.
• 3] Borsuk, O. S., Masnaya, N. V., Sherstoboev, E. Y., Isaykina, N. V., Kalinkina, G. I., & Reihart, D. V., (2011). Effects of drugs of plant origin on the development of the immune response. Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine, 151(2), 194–196. DOI.org/10.1007/s10517-011-1287-y
• 4] Boshoff, M., De Jonge, M., Scheifler, R., & Bervoets, L., (2014). Predicting As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn levels in grasses (Agrostis sp. and Poa sp.) and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) applying soil-plant transfer models. The Science of the total environment, 493, 862–871. DOI.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.076
• 5] Chrubasik, J. E., Roufogalis, B. D., Wagner, H., & Chrubasik, S. (2007). A comprehensive review on the stinging nettle effect and efficacy profiles. Part II: urticae radix. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 14(7-8), 568–579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2007.03.014
• 6] Davis A. K., Maney, D. L., Maerz, J. C., (2008). The use of leukocyte profiles to measure stress in vertebrates: a review for ecologists Functional Ecology, 22, 760–772. DOI.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01467.x
• 7] Galelli, A., & Truffa-Bachi, P., (1993). Urtica dioica agglutinin. A superantigenic lectin from stinging nettle rhizome. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 151(4), 1821–1831.
• 8] Gjorgieva, D., Kadifkova-Panovska, T., Bačeva, K., & Stafilov, T., (2011). Assessment of heavy metal pollution in Republic of Macedonia using a plant assay. Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology, 60(2),233–240.DOI.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9543-0
• 9] Husein, A. I., Ali-Shtayeh, M. S., Jondi, W. J., Zatar, N. A., Abu-Reidah, I. M., Jamous, R. M., (2014). In vitro antioxidant and antitumor activities of six selected plants used in the Traditional Arabic Palestinian herbal medicine. Pharmaceutical biology, 52(10), 1249–1255. DOI/10.3109/13880209.2014.886274.
• 10] Korkmaz, K., Kara, S. M., Ozkutlu, F., & Gul, V. (2010). Monitoring of heavy metals and selected micronutrients in hempseeds from North-western Turkey. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 5(6), 463-467.
• 11] Krystofova, O., Adam, V., Babula, P., Zehnalek, J., Beklova, M., Havel, L., & Kizek, R., (2010). Effects of various doses of selenite on stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.). International journal of environmental research and public health, 7(10), 3804–3815. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7103804
• 12] Mithril, C., Dragsted, L. O. (2012). Safety evaluation of some wild plants in the New Nordic Diet. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 50(12), 4461–4467. DOI.org/10.1016/j.fct.2012.09.016
• 13] Modarresi-Chahardehi, A., Ibrahim, D., Fariza-Sulaiman, S., & Mousavi, L. (2012). Screening antimicrobial activity of various extracts of Urtica dioica. Revista de biologia tropical, 60(4), 1567–1576. DOI.org/10.15517/rbt.v60i4.2074
• 14] Musette, P., Galelli, A., Chabre, H., Callard, P., Peumans, W., Truffa-Bachi, P., Kourilsky, P., Gachelin, G., (1996). Urtica dioica agglutinin, a V beta 8.3-specific superantigen, prevents the development of the systemic lupus erythematosus-like pathology of MRL lpr/lpr mice. European journal of immunology, 26(8), 1707–1711. DOI.org/10.1002/eji.1830260807
• 15] Ngugi, C. C., Oyoo-Okoth, E., Mugo-Bundi, J., Orina, P. S., Chemoiwa, E. J., Aloo, P. A., (2015). Effects of dietary administration of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) on the growth performance, biochemical, hematological and immunological parameters in juvenile and adult Victoria Labeo (Labeo victorianus) challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish & shellfish immunology, 44(2), 533–541. DOI.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2015.03.025
• 16] Notten, M. J., Oosthoek, A. J., Rozema, J., Aerts, R., (2005). Heavy metal concentrations in a soil-plant-snail food chain along a terrestrial soil pollution gradient. Environmental pollution 138(1), 178–190.DOI.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2005.01.011
• 17] Pinelli, P., Ieri, F., Vignolini, P., Bacci, L., Baronti, S., & Romani, A. (2008). Extraction and HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds in leaves, stalks, and textile fibers of Urtica dioica L. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 56(19), 9127–9132. DOI. org/10.1021/jf801552d
• 18] Pytlakowska, K., Kita, A., Janoska, P., Połowniak, M., Kozik, V., (2012). Multi-element analysis of mineral and trace elements in medicinal herbs and their infusions. Food chemistry, 135(2), 494–501. DOI.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.05.002
• 19] Samakar, B., Mehri, S., Hosseinzadeh, H. (2022). A review of the effects of Urtica dioica (nettle) in metabolic syndrome. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences, 25(5), 543–553. https://doi.org/10.22038/ IJBMS.2022.58892.13079
• 20] Sarma, H., Deka, S., Deka, H., & Saikia, R. R. (2011). Accumulation of heavy metals in selected medicinal plants. Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology, 214, 63–86. DOI.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0668-6_4
• 21] Simule, C.V. (2011). Indicator microorganisms of environmental pollution, PhD thesisi, Babes Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
• 22] Stanciuc, A. M., Gaspar, A., Moldovan, L., Saviuc, C., Popa, M., Măruţescu, L., (2011). In vitro antimicrobial activity of Romanian medicinal plants hydroalcoholic extracts on planktonic and adhered cells. Roumanian archives of microbiology and immunology, 70(1), 11–14.
• 23] Turker, A. U., Usta, C., (2008). Biological screening of some Turkish medicinal plant extracts for antimicrobial and toxicity activities. Natural product research, 22(2), 136–146. DOI.org/10.1080/14786410701591663
• 24] Wagner, H., Geiger, W. N., Boos, G., Samtleben, R., (1995). Studies on the binding of Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA) and other lectins in an in vitro epidermal growth factor receptor test. Phytomedicine: international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 1(4), 287–290. DOI.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(11)80004-8
• 25] Yildirim, N. C., Turkoglu, S., Ince, O. K., & Ince, M., (2013). Evaluation of antioxidant properties, elemental and phenolic contents composition of wild nettle (Urtica dioica L.) from Tunceli in Turkey. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France), Suppl 59, OL1882–OL1888.