aristolochic acid

noun

aris·​to·​lo·​chic acid (ˌ)a-ˌri-stə-lō-kik- 

: a carcinogenic alkaloid C₁₇H₁₁NO₇ that is derived from phenanthrene and carboxylic acid and occurs especially in plants of the genus Aristolochia

The FDA has alerted health care professionals to important safety information about botanical products containing aristolochic acid, which are used as ingredients in dietary supplements or sold as "traditional medicines."

—Bernard A. Schwetz, The Journal of the American Medical Association

The authors' investigations were prompted by similarities between endemic nephropathy and a condition called aristolochic acid nephropathy, which was identified in a group of women in Belgium and attributed to their use of herbal products as part of a slimming regime.

—Tim Lincoln, Nature