Table 2.
Chinese herbal medicines associated with nephrotoxicity
| Possible Toxic Compound | Latin Name | English Name/Chinese Name | Indications | Kidney Manifestations | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aristolochic acid | Aristolochia spp. | Aristolochia, Guan Mu tong, Han Fang Ji | To induce weight loss, liver disease, arthritis, headache, edema | Chronic interstitial nephritis, renal interstitial fibrosis, Fanconi syndrome, urothelial carcinoma | 19–22,43 |
| Flavonoid (sciadopitysin) | Taxus cerebica | Chinese yew | Diabetes, vascular diseases | Acute tubular necrosis, acute interstitial nephritis | 11 |
| Flavonoid | Cupressus funebris Endl | Mourning cypress | Vascular diseases, instead of “yew” | Acute tubular necrosis, acute interstitial nephritis | 14 |
| Flavonoid oligomeric procyanthins | Crataegus orientalis | Hawthorn | Congestive heart failure, hypertension, hyperlipidemia | AKI | 15 |
| Ephedrine, norephedrine, pseudoephedrine | Ephedra sinica | Ma huang | Cough, to induce weight loss, to cause sexual arousal | AKI, nephrolithiasis | 32–34,44 |
| Glycyrrhetinic acid, glycyrrhizic acid | Glycyrrhiza glabra | Licorice Gancao | Cough, sore throat, arthritis, to induce weight loss | Acute tubular necrosis, hypokalemic nephropathy, Fanconi syndrome | 28–30,45 |
| Anthraquinones, oxalic acid | Rhizoma rhei | Rhubarb | Laxative, anti-inflammatory | Interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy | 31,45 |
| Active moiety triptolide | Tripterygium wifordii | Lei Gong Teng | Arthritis, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressant | Acute tubular necrosis | 46 |
| Oxidative degradation products | Aloe capensis | Cape aloe | Constipation, insect bites | Acute tubular necrosis, parenchymatous nephritis | 31,45 |
| Colchicine | Colchicum autumnale | Autumn crocus | Gout | AKI | 47 |
| Dioscorine, dioscine | Discorea quartiniana | Yam | Taken as food, to cause poisoning or induce suicide | Acute tubular necrosis | 48 |
| Irritant chemicals in the latex of the plant | Euphorbia matabelensis, Euphorbia paralias | Spurge | Edema, to induce abortion | Acute tubular necrosis | 12,49 |
| Andrographolide | Andrographis paniculata | Chuan-Xin-Lian (heart piercing lotus) | Infectious disease, such as upper and lower respiratory tract infection, acute enteritis, bacillary dysentery | AKI, acute tubular necrosis | 13 |