Ma dou ling (Aristolochia fruit)

Modern authoritative sources classify aristolochic acids as carcinogenic and nephrotoxic. The U.S. NTP Report on Carcinogens lists aristolochic acids as known to be human carcinogens, associated with urinary-tract urothelial cancer in aristolochic acid nephropathy patients; and the U.S. FDA, in Import Alert 54-10, states that aristolochic acid is a potent carcinogen and nephrotoxin and that outbreaks of renal failure have been attributed to Chinese herbal medicines found to contain it. This is reference information drawn from modern sources, not a diagnostic or treatment recommendation.

• functions_en self-translated from 本草纲目 traditional_functions (public domain; the Chinese tf carries verbatim excerpt_hash citations). No modern work consulted.
• WHO IST-TCM terminology-aligned for the English rendering.
• public pharmacopoeia & botanical facts (public-domain reference facts; no proprietary modern source).

Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.

传统中医记载：《开宝》载实主肺热咳嗽、痰结喘促、血痔瘘疮；甄权谓主肺气上急、咳逆连连不止；张元素谓清肺气、补肺、去肺中湿热；《唐本》载根（土青木香）主鬼疰积聚、诸毒热肿、蛇毒。

Nature & flavor: 苦，寒，无毒（甄权谓平；时珍谓微苦、辛）。

• Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十八·蔓草·马兜铃·集解Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
• Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十八·蔓草·马兜铃·释名Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its alternate names.
• Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十八·蔓草·马兜铃·气味Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
• Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十八·蔓草·马兜铃·主治（开宝）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.