Common names | white nettle, white dead nettle

Scientific name | Lamium album

Used part | Flower

Known active compounds | protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant

Product name | White Nettle Flower-APD, White Nettle Flower-ANB

Plant Story

Lamium album is perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. It is commonly called white nettle or white dead nettle and has been introduced to other regions of world, including North America. Although called nettle, L. album is different from common nettle (Urtica dioica), as the hairs of L. album do not sting. The flowers are considered antispasmodic, astringent, cholagogue, diuretic, expectorant, sedative, and tonic, and distilled water from the flowers and leaves can be used to relieve ophthalmic conditions.

Various phenolic acids have been identified in white nettle flowers. Protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and caffeic acid were found to be major phenolic acids in white nettle flowers and other compounds such as syringic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, and chlorogenic acid were also found. In addition, white nettle flowers showed anti-oxidant activity by scavenging DPPH radical. In particular, white nettle flowers showed greater DPPH scavenging activity than the leaves.