title: [Study on Effects of Incompatible Herbal Medicine on Intestinal Bacterial Metabolism of Wu-Tou-Tang by ESI-MS].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was used to detect samples of Wu-Tou-Tang as well as the co-decoction of it with Pinelliae Rhizoma, Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus and Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus before and after intestinal bacterial metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-quantitative method of mass spectrometry was established for analyzing the biotransformation of major chemical constituents in Chinese medicine formula. Based on the changes of relative abundance ratio of alkaloids to internal standard for each decoction before and after intestinal bacterial metabolism, effects of incompatible herbal medicine on the intestinal bacterial metabolism of aconite alkaloids from Wu-Tou-Tang were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pinelliae Rhizoma, Fritillariae Thunbergii and Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus inhibited the intestinal bacterial biotransformation of diester-alkaloids, which could be considered that the above three Chinese herbal medicines increased the toxicity of Wu-Tou-Tang.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study illustrates the scientific connotation of traditional Chinese medicine "eighteen incompatible medicaments" theory from the point of intestinal bacterial metabolism.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Zhi-qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shu-ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D031841:Aconitum; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001711:Biotransformation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D031410:Fritillaria; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D030021:Pinellia; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal