Postprandial Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of Urtica cannabina L. and Its Chemical Profiling via UPLC-Triple-TOF MS/MS.

Reducing postprandial blood glucose (PBG) constitutes a core objective in the clinical management of diabetes mellitus. Urtica cannabina L., a traditional medicinal and edible homologous plant, is widely distributed in China; however, research on its pharmacological activity and chemical composition remains relatively scarce. In the present study, the PBG-lowering potential of U. cannabina L. was confirmed both in vitro and in vivo, and its chemical constituents were preliminarily identified by UPLC-triple-TOF-MS/MS for the first time. Notably, acarbose (8 mg/kg), a clinically approved first-line α-glucosidase inhibitor, and UCE20 (20% ethanol extract of U. cannabina L.) at 10 mg/kg both significantly reduced PBG levels. Furthermore, UPLC-triple-TOF MS/MS analysis combined with correlation analysis has preliminarily indicated that hydroxycinnamoyl quinates and flavonoid C-glycosides may serve as the primary bioactive components responsible for the PBG-lowering effect. These findings suggested U. cannabina L. holds potential as a medicinal ingredient or health food to assist in the regulation of PBG levels.