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Fancy a taste of your own toenails? That’s what vendors in Vietnam or China could say when offering powdered rhino horn. This coveted “trophy” is made up of keratin, the same structural protein as human nails and hair. And a new study in Scientific Reports finds it about as nutritious, despite claims to the contrary, underlining the scientific consensus that consuming rhino horn has no real health benefits.

Did you know that work to develop artificial alternatives for bear bile, pangolin scales, rhino horn and saiga horn has been ongoing at China’s top research institutions for more than 15 years? And that studying the therapeutic substances and artificial substitutes of endangered animal ingredients is now a project of State priority? If you didn’t, it’s not so strange when you think about it – when was the last time you heard a report from Pfizer or AstraZeneca about the next big drug they are developing, before they’ve registered the patent and the product is ready to hit the market?

What was rhino horn used for in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)? At times during the 3000-year history of TCM, rhino horn was used to treat infections and was believed to reduce fever. It was never used alone, but in combination with Chinese herbs.