Correlation analysis between extracts and endogenous metabolites to characterise the influence of salt-processing on compatibility mechanism of 'Psoraleae Fructus & Foeniculi Fructus'.

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance ‘Salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus & salt-processed Foeniculi Fructus’ (sPFs (ii) conducive to the positive effects of sPF on triacylglycerol, 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, cholesterol, and arachidonic acid, and adverse to that of sFF, making sFF play an antagonistic role, thereby, sPFs and (iii) adverse to the positive effects of sPF and sFF on thromboxane A2, sphinganine and sphingosine, making sFF play a synergistic role, thereby, sPF&sFF could prevent a series of side effects and moderately relieve the symptoms of metabolic diarrhoea and polyuria. Conclusions Salt-processing indirectly affected on the correlations between chemical components in extracts and critical metabolites in vivo, and exhibited both conducive and adverse effects on the efficacy, making sPF and sFF cooperate with each other to moderately repair the metabolic disorders. Thereby, sPF&sFF could suitably relieve the diarrhoea and polyuria symptoms in the model and exert the most appropriate efficacy. Moreover, this novel strategy provided a feasible approach for further studying the compatibility mechanism of herbs.