Chemical constituents and pharmacology of Aristolochi species

Aristolochia species have long been known for their wide use in traditional medicine and have attracted intense research interest because of the numerous biological activity reports and unique constituents, aristolochic acids. Aristolochia species are sources of a number of physiologically active compounds of different classes. Aristolochic acid derivatives with various carbon skeletons, aporphines, benzyliso- quinolines, isoquinolines, protoberberines protopines, amides, chlorophylls, mono-, sesqui-, and diterpenoids, lignans, biphenyl ethers, flavonoids, tetralones, benzenoids, and steroids have been identified from different Aristolochia species. The major focus of recent research is on the negative aspects of aristolochic acids because of the nephro- toxicity of some aristolochic acids. This report addresses the complex array of the biologically active and chemically diverse metabolites identified from Aristolochia species during the past seventy years, in addition to biosynthetic studies, ecological adaptation and chemotaxonomy to show the rapid development in the phytochemistry and pharmacology of the Aristolochia species.