The following Pesticide Hazard Tricolour (PHT) alerts are based on the data in the tables below. An absence of an alert does not imply the substance has no implications for human health, biodiversity or the environment but just that we do not have the data to form a judgement. The alerts for Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are based on applying the FAO/WHO (Type 1) and the PAN (Type II) criteria to PPDB data. Further details on the HHP indicators are given in the tables below. Neither the PHT nor the HHP hazard alerts take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus they do not represent risk.
PHT: Environmental fate
PHT: Ecotoxicity
PHT: Human health
Highly Hazardous Pesticide
Human health Low alert
Warning: Significant data are missing
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
A complex aqueous extract of flavonoids, phenols, sapogenins and otherr plant derived chemicals obtained from the leaves of nettles which demonstrates insecticidal and fungicidal activity
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 in the following EU Member States
ATAustria
BEBelgium
BGBulgaria
CYCyprus
CZCzech Republic
DEGermany
DKDenmark
EEEstonia
ELGreece
ESSpain
FIFinland
FRFrance
HRCroatia
HUHungary
IEIreland
ITItaly
LTLithuania
LULuxembourg
✓
LVLatvia
MTMalta
NLNetherlands
PLPoland
PTPortugal
RORomania
SESweden
SISlovenia
SKSlovakia
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 by Mutual Recognition of Authorisation and/or national regulations in the following EEA countries
ISIceland
NONorway
Additional information
Also used in
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Chemical structure
Isomerism
Nettle extract is a complex mixture, not a single compound. However, it contains various bioactive substances like flavonoids, phenols, and sapogenins, which may individually have isomeric forms.
Chemical formula
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Canonical SMILES
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Isomeric SMILES
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International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)
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International Chemical Identifier (InChI)
-
2D structure diagram/image available?
No
General status
Biopesticide type
Insecticide; Fungicide
Substance groups
Plant-derived substance
Minimum active substance purity
-
Known relevant impurities
-
Substance origin
Natural; Complex mixture
Mode of action
-
Insecticide behavioural & physiological effects
-
Substance source
Extracted from stinging nettle plants (Urtica dioica and/or Urtica urens)
Mixture composition
Nettle extract is a complex natural mixture whose chemical composition varies based on plant part (leaves, roots, stalks), extraction method (aqueous, ethanolic, supercritical CO₂, etc.), solvent, season, geography, and habitat. It is rich in bioactive compounds and major constituents include: phenolic compounds and polyphenols, flavonoids such as rutin and quercetin, terpenes/volatile compounds, fatty acids and various pigments, vitamins and minerals. The key bioactive component is rutin but is present in very small quantities (typically 0.04–0.72% w/w). Total chlorophyll content frequently reaches 30–61% of dry weight equivalents and is the most dominant component on a weight basis but has no pesticidal activity.
UK Basic commodity substance implemented under the UK's Plant Protection Products Regulations 2011; EU Basic substance under Article 28 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009); USEPA minimum risk pesticide
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)
Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)
Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)
None
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)
None
Examples of recorded resistance
-
Physical state
Green viscous liquid comprised of a variable and complex chemical mixture which includes flavenoids, phenolic acids, sugars and volatiles.
Commercial
Property
Value
Availability status
Current
Introduction & key dates
-
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
SPAA
The Botanical Extract Company
Example products using this active
Formulation and application details
Often formulated as a concentrated liquid
Commercial production
Commercial production of nettle extract begins with the careful harvesting of nettle plants, either the leaves or roots depending on the desired extract, typically during spring or early autumn when bioactive compounds are most concentrated. The harvested material is then thoroughly washed and dried. Once dried, the plant matter is ground into a fine powder to increase surface area for extraction. The powdered nettle is then subjected to solvent extraction, often using water, ethanol, or a combination, under controlled temperatures to draw out beneficial compounds such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and minerals. The resulting extract is filtered, concentrated, and sometimes standardised to ensure consistent potency before being packaged for use.
Impact on climate of production and use
Precise figures for the GHG emissions from producing nettle extract are not available. However, they are expected to be relatively low compared to many synthetic products. Generally, plant oil production processes have been estimated to emit at between 1.0 and 4.0 kg CO₂e per kg of oil. Whilst this data is not a good fit for nettle extract it is likely to be of the correct order.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C at pH 7 (mg l⁻¹)
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Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
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-
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Melting point (°C)
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-
-
Boiling point (°C)
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-
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Degradation point (°C)
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-
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Flashpoint (°C)
-
-
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
-
-
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Log P
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-
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Fat solubility of residues
Solubility
-
-
-
Data type
-
-
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Density (g ml⁻¹)
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-
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Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
-
-
-
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Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)
-
-
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Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
-
-
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Volatilisation as max % of applied dose lost
From plant surface
-
-
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From soil surface
-
-
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Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹
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-
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Surface tension (mN m⁻¹)
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-
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Degradation
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
General biodegradability
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Soil degradation (days)
DT₅₀ (typical)
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-
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DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
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-
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DT₅₀ (field)
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-
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DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
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DT₉₀ (field)
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-
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DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
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-
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Note
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Soil mineralisation
Aerobic (at 20 °C)
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-
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Anaerobic (at 20 °C)
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Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix
Value
-
-
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Note
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Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7
Value
-
-
-
Note
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Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Sediment phase only DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Air degradation
As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below.
Decay in stored produce DT₅₀
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Soil adsorption and mobility
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Linear
Kd (mL g⁻¹)
-
-
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Koc (mL g⁻¹)
-
Notes and range
-
Freundlich
Kf (mL g⁻¹)
-
-
-
Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)
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1/n
-
Notes and range
-
pH sensitivity
-
Known metabolites
None
ECOTOXICOLOGY
Terrestrial ecotoxicology
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
-
-
-
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242
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Human health
Warning:
