Himalayan Nettle <i>Girardinia diversifolia</i> as a Candidate Ingredient for Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Applications—Phytochemical Analysis and In Vitro Bioassays
Shyam Sharan Shrestha,
Stefania Sut,
Irene Ferrarese,
Serena Barbon Di Marco,
Gokhan Zengin,
Michele De Franco,
Deepak Raj Pant,
Mohamad Fawzi Mahomoodally,
Nicola Ferri,
Noemi Biancorosso,
Filippo Maggi,
Stefano Dall Acqua,
Sangeeta Rajbhandary
Affiliations
Shyam Sharan Shrestha
Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, 44613 Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Stefania Sut
DAFNAE, Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, Agripolis Campus, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
Irene Ferrarese
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
Serena Barbon Di Marco
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
Gokhan Zengin
Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Selcuk University, Campus, 42130 Konya, Turkey
Michele De Franco
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
Deepak Raj Pant
Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, 44613 Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Mohamad Fawzi Mahomoodally
Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
Nicola Ferri
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
Noemi Biancorosso
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
Filippo Maggi
School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Sant’Agostino 1, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Stefano Dall Acqua
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
Sangeeta Rajbhandary
Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, 44613 Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Girardinia diversifolia, also known as Himalayan nettle, is a perennial herb used in Nepal to make fiber as well as in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases. To date, phytochemical studies and biological assays on this plant are scarce. Thus, in the present work, the G. diversifolia extracts have been evaluated for their potential pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical uses. For this purpose, detailed phytochemical analyses were performed, evidencing the presence of phytosterols, fatty acids, carotenoids, polyphenols and saponins. The most abundant secondary metabolites were β- and γ-sitosterol (11 and 9% dw, respectively), and trans syringin (0.5 mg/g) was the most abundant phenolic. Fatty acids with an abundant portion of unsaturated derivatives (linoleic and linolenic acid at 22.0 and 9.7 mg/g respectively), vitamin C (2.9 mg/g) and vitamin B2 (0.12 mg/g) were also present. The antioxidant activity was moderate while a significant ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrilcholinesterase (BuChE), tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase was observed. A cytotoxic effect was observed on human ovarian, pancreatic and hepatic cancer cell lines. The effect in hepatocarcinoma cells was associated to a downregulation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), a pivotal regulator of cellular cholesterol homeostasis. These data show the potential usefulness of this species for possible applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and cosmetics.
