Evaluation of Anti Asthmatic Activity of Urtica Dioica (Linn.) Leaves and Its Phytochemical Studies

Urtica dioica, often called common nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, is a herbaceousperennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and introduced elsewhere. The species is divided into six subspecies, five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact ("contact urticaria"). The plant has a long history of use as a source for traditional medicine, food, tea, and textile raw material in ancient societies. Urtica dioica is a dioecious, herbaceous, perennial plant, 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) tall in the summer and dying down to the ground in winter.[1] It has widely spreading rhizomes and stolons, which are bright yellow, as are the roots. The soft, green leaves are 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in) long and are borne oppositely on an erect, wiry, green stem. The leaves have a strongly serrated margin, a cordate base, and an acuminate tip with a terminal leaf tooth longer than adjacent laterals. It bears small, greenish or brownish, numerous flowers in dense axillary inflorescences. The leaves and stems are very hairy with non-stinging hairs, and in most subspecies, also bear many stinging hairs (trichomes or spicules), whose tips come off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that can inject several chemicals causing a painful sting or paresthesia, giving the species its common names: stinging nettle, burn nettle, burn weed, or burn hazel. AIM & OBJECTIVE: Synthetic drugs used for the treatment of asthma and allergy in India but more side effects are reported. Over the centuries, they are using medicinal herbs in daily life and approximately 6000 plants species are known to have medicinal properties in India. As per the literature survey will be expressed medicinal plants and traditional systems of medicines, Ayurveda, Yunani, Siddha and Homeopathy for the treatment of asthma and allergy but no scientific validation. Several literatures are indicated that the herbal drugs have lesser adverse effects when compared to synthetic drugs. The Urtica dioica is not scientifically validated and which was traditionally using herb. The work provides scientific validation for use of leaves against asthma by revealing the chemical compounds may be present in the plant. The present study is attempts to develop a novel plant based antihistamine work through antiastmatic drug which will be evaluated by in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: This work will be useful to find new anti asthamatic drug with help of in vitro and in vivo models. Ethanolic extract will be possess highly substantial anti-asthmatic activity by significantly inhibited the histamine induced broncho constriction of guinea pig representing its H1 receptor antagonistic activity and support the plants by its anti-asthmatic properties. The results will be obtained in the study to be provide basic data for further progress and application of plant.