Change of Alkaloid Composition and Acute Toxicity of Aconitum Roots during Processing

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Abstract
Raw tubers of Aconitum japonicum and A. carmichaeli, which are sources of processed aconite roots used widely as an Oriental medicine in Japan, were assayed for alkaloid content and composition. They contained mesaconitine or hypaconitine as the main poisonous principle. When they were processed at 120.degree. C for 40 min (to Kako-bushi), a greater part of the poisonous aconitines was hydrolyzed into the much less poisonous benzoylaconines and, together with the postulated co-occurrence of substances which reduce toxicity of the aconitines, the tubers became essentially innocuous. Processed aconite roots (Shirakawa-bushi), prepared by a variety of procedures (immersion into salt water, coating with lime or ash, and/or some heat treatment), show variation in alkaloid content and composition, and still exhibit considerable toxicity. The processed aconite roots (Ho-bushi), prepared by immersion into salt water and heat treatment, are innoxious, since poisonous alkaloids represented by hypaconitine were largely converted into benzoylaconines and further the alkaloid content was significantly reduced. Apparently in the processed aconite roots (Ho-bushi), not only the poisonous alkaloids but also other active principles were decreased owing to chemical degradation by heat treatment as well as by physical loss due to extraction during processing. When raw tubers are heated at 100.degree. C in the presence of water (conditions employed for decoction), the content of the aconitines decreased, and toxicity was reduced, a fact which confirms that raw tubers become far less toxic by sufficient heating under these conditions.

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