Nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves as a novel food: Nutritional, phytochemical profiles, and bioactivities

<i>Urtica dioica</i> is widely distributed across temperate regions of the world and is highly beneficial and packed with nutritional value including a rich profile of phytochemicals, amino acids, and essential minerals. Due to abundance of these attributes, the nutritional, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of <i>Urtica dioica</i> were assessed systematically. Additionally, proximate, functional, antinutrient, mineral, polyphenolic compounds, FRAP, and DPPH assays were also examined. The findings revealed that <i>Urtica dioica</i> contains high Mg, Ca, Fe, and Zn. The examined values of DPPH and FRAP showed high antioxidant potential of <i>Urtica dioica.</i> UHPLC and GC-MS analysis confirmed <i>Urtica dioica</i> as an excellent source of phenolic and bioactive compounds. In view of these experimental findings, <i>Urtica dioica</i> can be incorporated into edible coatings and functional foods. Its excellent antimicrobial properties against Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria underscore its viability as an excellent source of functional ingredients in edible coatings.