ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE：To compare the c ontents of 6 kinds of ester alkaloids in raw aconite and 5 kinds of salt-processed products，and to provide reference for the optimization of salt-processing technology. METHODS ：Processed with bittern ， magnesium chloride ，sodium chloride ，calcium chloride and potassium chloride as excipients ，and HPLC method were adopted to determine the contents of 6 kinds of ester alkaloids in raw aconite and 5 kinds of salt-processed products. The effect/toxicity ratio and toxicity component index were used to evaluate the effect and toxicity of raw aconite and 5 kinds of salt-processed products. RESULTS： The linear range of benzoylneoaconitine ， benzoylhypoconitine， benzoylaconitine， neoaconitine， aconitine and hypoconitine were 2.440-24.40，2.240-22.40，2.020-20.20，2.780-27.80，2.240-22.40，2.240-22.40 μg/mL（r≥0.999 0）. RSDs of precision，stability and repeatability tests were all less than 2％. The recovery rates were 102.13％-104.87％（RSD＝0.98％，n＝ 6），100.00％-105.00％（RSD＝2.02％，n＝6），95.00％-99.29％（RSD＝1.77％，n＝6），100.41％-104.58％（RSD＝1.78％，n＝ 6），98.87％-99.90％（RSD＝0.41％，n＝6），100.20％-104.00％（RSD＝1.55，n＝6），respectively. The contents of total alkaloids in order from the largest to the smallest was as follows ：raw aconite ＞processed products of sodium chloride ＞processed products of bittern ＞processed products of potassium chloride ＞processed products of calcium chloride ＞processed products of magnesium chloride. The order of effect/toxicity ratio was processed products of potassium chloride ＞processed products of magnesium chloride＞processed products of sodium chloride ＞processed products of calcium chloride ＞processed products of bittern ＞raw aconite. The order of toxicity component index was raw aconite ＞processed products of sodium chloride ＞processed products of bittern＞processed products of calcium chloride ＞processed products of potassium chloride ＞processed products of magnesium chloride. CONCLUSIONS ：Using 5 kinds of salt as excipients ，the proce ssing technology has different degrees of “efficacy enhancing and toxicity reducing ”effect. Among them ，magne- sium chloride ，potassium chloride and calcium chloride are better for processing and can be used for processing aconite.