TCM tonic herb 'can kill HIV', study finds

The sex-booster herb Schisandraceae, widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for 2,000 years, has shown promise in treating HIV/AIDS, according to a 20-year-long study led by the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Native to North China, the Korean Peninsula and Russia, the plant has been used in TCM treatment as a tonic that enhances the function of the liver and kidneys and improves memory and sexual performance.

Notably, several derivatives of the herb's lignin, which is the compound extracted from the leaves and stems of the woody vine plant, have strong anti-HIV properties and low toxicity, according to Sun Handong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who led the research.