Abstract
Aristolochic acids (AA) are phytochemicals found in plants of the genus Aristolochia belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae. These compounds bear a nitrophenanthrene carboxylic acid skeleton and are reported to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and nephrotoxic. Sugar cane spirit infusions containing Aristolochia species are commonly used in Brazil as popular drinks, in total absence of scientific information. The presence aristolochic acids was confirmed in samples collected in popular markets of the city of Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. The aristolochic acids quantitative estimation was made in five samples of sugar cane spirit infusions obtained from different places of that city and were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The samples analyzed contained aristolochic acids I and II in concentrations ranging between 1.96 and 6.10 µg/ml for AA I and 2.22 and 11.55 µg/ml for AA II. The immediate banning of such popular drinks is recommended in view of the danger to ingest aristolochic acids, botanical products containing aristolochic acids or herbal products containing plants belonging to Aristolochiaceae family.
 
 
 
 
Highlights
Many plants have been used for centuries in Brazilian folk medicine to treat several human ailments
With about 490 species spreading around the tropical areas[5] plants of genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) are known to contain nitrophenanthrene carboxylic acid compounds known as aristolochic acids (AA)
Taking into consideration the risk of using products containing AA’s, this work aims to evaluate the presence and levels of AA I and AA II on handmade alcoholic drinks sold in popular markets of Aracaju, capital of Sergipe, a state of the Brazilian Northeast region
Summary
Many plants have been used for centuries in Brazilian folk medicine to treat several human ailments. “Garrafadas” are mixed medicinal plants extracts that use sugar cane spirit, a typical Brazilian alcoholic beverage called “aguardente” or “cachaça” or wine as vehicle[1]. A very popular herbal preparation referred to as “milhomem” (obtained by infusion of several Aristolochia plant species, such as A. cymbifera, A gigantea, A. birostris with sugar cane spirit) is used to treat liver and Determination of aristolochic acids I and II in Brazilian sugar cane spirit infusions (“milhomem”) commonly used in northeast Brazil as popular drinks stomach disorders, snake bites, fever and ulcer for example[2,3,4]. Aristolochic acids are strongly recorded as responsible for the nephrotoxic and genotoxic effects associated with the use of some herbal preparations[6,7]. Several analogs of AA are described, but aristolochic acids I and II (FIGURE 1) have particular significance for their common occurrence[11,12]
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