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Vol. 29 (2026 year), No. 3, DOI: 10.21443/1560-9278-2026-29-3

Sharikov A. Yu., Golubev A. A., Amelyakina M. V., Ivanov V. V., Abramova I. M.
Stinging nettle Urtica dioica L. in the food industry: A review of the research landscape and prospects for its use

Stinging nettle Urtica dioica L. is of interest as a non-conventional plant raw material rich in nutrients and biologically active compounds. The aim of this review is to analyse the current state of research on the chemical composition of stinging nettle, its food applications, and its technological potential as an ingredient in foods with enhanced nutritional value. The review has been conducted as an analysis of the research landscape incorporating bibliometric and thematic approaches. Publications issued between 2005 and 2026 were searched using the Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar platforms. The final dataset comprised 327 sources, of which 133 were directly related to food technologies. Zotero and VOSviewer software were used for processing bibliographic information and mapping the structure of the research field, respectively. The findings have shown that the current research landscape is centred on several major areas: the chemical composition and biologically active components of stinging nettle, its pharmacological effects, and its applications in food products. Stinging nettle is found to be used most extensively in bakery, pasta, confectionery, dairy, and meat products, as well as in beverages, primarily as a enriching ingredient that increases the content of dietary fibre, minerals, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds and enhances antioxidant activity. At the same time, increasing the level of nettle supplementation is often associated with deterioration in technological and sensory properties indicating the need to optimise both the form and the amount of the added ingredient. It has been concluded that Urtica dioica has considerable potential as an ingredient in functional food systems provided that the raw material is standardised and technologically adapted to specific food matrices.

(in Russian, стр.18, fig. 3, tables. 1, ref 59, AdobePDF, AdobePDF 0 Kb)