The word "aristolochic" refers to a type of plant commonly used in traditional medicine. It is often associated with certain health benefits, but it can also be harmful if used improperly. Full definition
Sometimes known as birthwort, Aristolochia contains aristolochic acid, which can cause kidney and liver damage and bladder cancer. (scientificamerican.com)
At least one of the four medicines that contained Aristolochia DNA also contained aristolochic acid. (scientificamerican.com)
By analyzing numerous samples from Taiwan and other countries in Asia and elsewhere, Ng et al. demonstrated the effects of aristolochic acid in hepatocellular carcinoma, a much more common tumor type. (stm.sciencemag.org)