OBJECTIVE To explore the detoxification mechanism of Terminalia chebula Retz (TCR) soup-processed Euphorbia fischeriana Steud. (EFS) based on LC-MS and simulation processing.

METHODS The changes of chemical composition of TCR soup-processed EFS, and dichloromethane extracts of crude EFS after simulation processing with TCR soup were analyzed by LC-MS. Mice were orally administered with alcoholic extracts of crude EFS, alcoholic extracts of water-processed EFS, alcoholic extracts of TCR soup, alcoholic extracts of TCR soup-processed EFS, dichloromethane extracts of crude EFS, dichloromethane extracts of TCR soup-processed EFS, and dichloromethane extracts of crude EFS after simulation processing with TCR soup, respectively. Toxicity changes in TCR soup-processed EFS and dichloromethane extracts of crude EFS after simulation processing with TCR soup were evaluated by fecal water contents, release levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, and intestinal pathology.

RESULTS A total of 115 and 53 compounds were identified in EFS and TCR soup, respectively. The contents of 58 and 12 compounds significantly decreased and significantly increased respectively in EFS after processing with TCR soup. Compared to the blank control group, the fecal water contents and the release levels of TNF-α and IL-1β significantly increased in both the crude and water-processed EFS groups (P < 0.01), and notable intestinal injury was observed. Compared to the crude EFS group, the fecal water contents and the release levels of TNF-α and IL-1β significantly decreased in both the TCR soup group and the TCR soup-processed EFS group (P < 0.01), and repaired intestinal injury was observed. After simulation processing for the dichloromethane extracts of crude EFS with TCR soup, the ion intensity change rates for diterpenoids and tannin phenolic acid compounds ranged from -6.75% to 8.09% and 66.06% to 100.00%, respectively. The ion intensity change rates of diterpenoids in the dichloromethane extracts of TCR soup-processed EFS ranged from -9.92% to 54.72% with almost no tannin phenolic acid compounds. Compared to the blank control group, the fecal water contents and the release levels of TNF-α and IL-1β significantly increased in both the dichloromethane extracts of crude and TCR soup-processed EFS groups (P < 0.01), and severe intestinal injury was observed. Compared to the dichloromethane extracts of crude EFS group, the fecal water contents and the release levels of TNF-α and IL-1β significantly decreased in the group of the dichloromethane extracts of crude EFS after simulation processing with TCR soup (P < 0.01), with no apparent intestinal injury.

CONCLUSION TCR soup processing can alleviate the intestinal toxicity of EFS. The detoxification mechanism may involve the introduction of a large number of tannin phenolic acid compounds in TCR soup during the processing of EFS, which plays a pharmacological antagonistic role in the animal body.