In this work, we study the cementation reaction of copper by zinc in acid sulphate media in the presence of nettle plant extract ( Urtica dioica L.). The e ff ect of some parameters, namely concentration of nettle extract, tem- perature and initial copper ions concentration have been studied. This extract obtained by re fl uxed technique in water, has proved to be a good inhibitor of the parasitic reactions of hydrogen and dissolved oxygen that ac- companied the cementation process in acidic media. These reactions are the main causes of the zinc over- consumption and the decrease of copper recovery e ffi ciency. The results showed that the maximum of copper recovery e ffi ciency (85.2%) was obtained at the optimal concentration of nettle extract, equal to 1.5 g·L − 1 .At this concentration, we recorded a decrease in zinc overconsumption of about 43.5% compared to the solution without additives. The rate of the cementation reaction increases with increasing temperature up to 37 °C and this e ff ect is more pronounced when the extract is present in solution.