ABSTRACT
The family Aristolochiaceae comprises approximately 5 genera and 300 species of poisonous climbers, which can be recognized in field collection by their corolla, often shaped like a little smoking pipe. In China, Aristolochia contorta, Aristolochia kaempferi, and Aristolochia recurvilabra have been used in the traditional Chinese system of medicine since antiquity. Aristolochiaceae have the ability to elaborate a unique series of phenanthrene alkaloids, one of the best examples of which is aristolochic acid. Aristolochia philippinensis Warb. is a climber that grows in the coastal forest of the Philippine Islands. The stems are slightly pubescent, terete, and articulate. The leaves are simple, exstipulate, and spiral. In the Philippines, a decoction of the roots is used to assuage stomachache and to promote menses. Aristolochic acid and congeners share some similitude in chemical structures with our own steroidal hormones, hence their potency when acting as antiinflammatory and gynecological agents.
