Background
- Aristolochia spp. are found in diverse climates worldwide, but not in Australia. Because the aristolochic acid in Aristolochia spp. is known to cause kidney damage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises consumers to immediately discontinue use of any botanical products containing aristolochic acid. Currently, Britain's Committee on Safety of Medicines prohibits Aristolochia spp. in all unlicensed medicines, and it may only be obtained by prescription from a licensed doctor or dentist.
- In many areas, Aristolochia spp. are used in ethnomedicine for conditions such as cancer, wounds, and intestinal worms. Since the 1950s, some Aristolochia spp. have been used as substitutes in Chinese herbal medicine for certain Akebia spp., Saussurea (Auklandia) spp., Clematis spp., and Stephania tetrandra. In fact, when nine samples of fangji (Stephania tetrandra) were purchased from Hong Kong herbal shops and analyzed for aristolochic acids, all of the samples contained aristolochic acids. Stephania tetrandra does not contain aristolochic acids.
- During 1990-1992, a Belgium clinic prescribed a Chinese herbal weight-loss remedy that substituted Aristolochia fangchi for Stephania tetrandra. Many of the patients developed a progressive kidney disorder called aristolochic acid nephropathy. Doses higher than 200 grams were linked to a higher risk of urinary tract cancer.
- It is believed that the seeds of Aristolochia clematitis that have been accidentally harvested along with wheat from fields in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Serbia may be the cause of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy and a high rate of endemic kidney failure in certain areas.
References
Natural Standard developed the above evidence-based information based on a thorough systematic review of the available scientific articles. For comprehensive information about alternative and complementary therapies on the professional level, go to . Selected references are listed below.
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View Abstract - Wu, TS, Leu, YL, and Chan, YY. Constituents from the stem and root of Aristolochia kaempferi. Biol Pharm Bull 2000;23(10):1216-1219.
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