aristolochic acid
noun
aris·to·lo·chic acid
| \ (ˌ)a-ˌri-stə-lō-kik-
\
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Medical Definition of aristolochic acid
: 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, 6 June 2001 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, 12 July 2007