Abstract: Objective To compare the acute toxicity of different processed ethanol extracts of Polygoni Multiflori. Methods Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 Edition and Shanghai, Beijing, Anhui, Zhejiang and Henan provincial specification of Chinese materia medica was provided for preparing five processed products. They are Bean-processing, Bean juice-6 h, Stew, Steamed and Bean juice-18 h respectively. According to the classical method (median lethal dose LD50, maximum tolerated dose MTD, maximum dose MFD) of acute toxicity, and compare the acute toxicity of raw and different processed products from Polygoni Multiflori in mice. Results The raw and different processed products from Polygoni Multiflori had MTD value. The main toxicities of Polygoni Multiflori were lie prostrate, lazy movement, and trembling, and dyspnea before death. The MTD of raw, Bean-processing, Bean juice-6 h, Stew, Steamed and Bean juice-18 h was 101.08, 140.76, 227.52, 122.04, 141.48, 163.88 g·kg^-1 respectively, which was respectively equal to 1 175.3, 823.2, 1 330.5, 713.7, 827.4, and 958.4 times of 70 kg people's daily dried medicinal herb expenses. Conclusion The raw and different processed products from Polygoni Multiflori can cause certain acute toxicity effect on normal mice, the size order is raw > Bean-processing > Bean juice-6 h > Stew > Steamed > Bean juice-18 h. Different ways of Polygoni Multiflori can affect its toxicity. It was suggested that the different processing methods of Polygoni Multiflori could affect the toxicity of its alcohol extracts.

Key words: different processed products from Polygoni Multiflori, alcohol extraction components, acute toxicity