Aristolochia chemical constituents

Polygalaceae), Virginia (Aristolochia serpentaria, Aristolochiaceae) and white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum, Asteraceae). In the United States, a list of standardized common names called Herbs of Commerce (American Herbal Products Association, 1992) was adopted by the FDA as the only permitted source for common names on product labeling. Products that contain plants not listed in Herbs of Commerce are required to use the correct Latin name of the plant on the label. In addition to difficulties with nomenclature, problems have arisen because of the difficulty in determining exactly which plants are present in a finished product. Capsules that contain more than one plant and/or a dried crude extract make identification of the plant(s) by traditional means such as microscopy virtually impossible (Betz et al., 1995). Determination of the identity of a misidentified plant then becomes a matter of looking for specific toxic chemical constituents, which is usually a needle in a haystack approach unless symptoms are characteristic of a particular compound. Good quality assurance of raw material obviates the need for this detective work. 

Thirteen chemical constituents were isolated from the root and stem of Aristolochia moupinensis (Aristrochiaceae). One of them is a new cinnamoylamide named moupinamide (143), which inhibited rat platelet aggregation and MDA formation in platelets in vitro (111). 

In the study of the patients with kidney cancer associated with the use of aristolochia, samples of kidney tissue were taken from patients. When analysed these were found to contain aristolochic acid, a known constituent of the herb. Molecules related to aristolochic acid were found bound to DNA from aU the kidney samples analysed. When molecules of a chemical become bound to DNA, dysfunction of the molecule can result in various ways. The binding to DNA can lead to mutations or other disturbances in DNA function which underlie cancer, such as switching on cancer genes or oncogenes. Many carcinogens (or their active metabolites) have been found to bind to DNA and this is believed to be part of the process by which chemicals cause cancer. 

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