A metabolic profiling analysis of the acute toxicological effects of the realgar (As2S2) combined with other herbs in Niuhuang Jiedu Tablet using 1H NMR spectroscopy

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Niuhuang Jiedu Tablet (NJT), composed of Realgar (As2S2), Bovis Calculus Artificialis, Bomeolum Synthcticum, Gypsum Fibrosum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (RR), Scutellariae Radix (SR), Platycodonis Radix (PR) and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (GR), is an effective formula of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used in treating acute tonsillitis, pharyngitis, periodontitis and mouth ulcer. In the formula, significant level of realgar (AS(2)S(2)) as a potentially toxic element is contained. In our pervious experiments, NJT was significantly less toxic than realgar (As2S2), and the material bases of toxicity alleviation effect to realgar (As2S2) were RR, SR, PR and GR. However, the toxicity alleviation effect of each above mentioned four herbs to realgar (As2S2) and their synergistic detoxification effects to realgar (As2S2) were still obscure. Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into 11 groups: control, group R (treated with Realgar), group RRSPG (treated with Realgar, RR, SR, PR and GR), group RRSP (treated with Realgar, RR, SR and PR), group RRSG (treated with Realgar, RR, SR and GR), group RRPG (treated with Realgar, RR, PR and GR), group RSPG (treated with Realgar, SR, PR and GR), group RR (treated with Realgar and RR), group RS (treated with Realgar and SR), group RP (treated with Realgar and PR) and group RG (treated with Realgar and GR). Based on H-1 NMR spectra of urine and serum from rats, PCA and PLS-DA were performed to identify different metabolic profiles. Liver and kidney histopathology examinations and serum clinical chemistry analysis were also performed. Results: The metabolic profiles of groups RR, RS, RP and RG were similar to those of group R, while the metabolic profiles of groups RRSPG, RRSP, RRSG, RRPG and RSPG were almost in line with those of control group. Statistics results were confirmed by the histopathological examination and biochemical assay. Conclusion: The present work suggested that the toxicity alleviation effects of RR, SR, PR and GR to realgar (AS(2)S(2)) were not obvious when combined with realgar (As2S2) respectively, but they had synergistic detoxification effects on realgar (As2S2) mutually. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.