Akebia quinata, commonly known as a chocolate vine or five-leaf akebia, is a shrub that can grow 10 meters or more in height. It has compound leaves with five leaflets, and its flowers are chocolate scented with three or four sepals. The fruits are sausage-shaped pods that contain edible pulp.

In Chinese Pharmacopoeia, it is believed to be therapeutic as a diuretic, anti-phlogistic, galactagogue, and analgesic. Traditionally in  China,  it is used as a remedy for insufficient lactation in nursing mothers in China. The stem of A. quinata has been used to treat urinary tract inflammatory disease. It is believed to have bitter and cold properties and is used to regulate the flow of liver qi, blood circulation, and urine. Recent scientific studies demonstrated that the ethanol extract of A. quinata has anti-inflammatory properties by attenuating COX-2 expression.