Abstract: AIM: This study was undertaken to investigate the toxicity and pharmacological effects of Radix Asteris (RA), Flos Farfarae (FF) and the mixture of RA and FF (1:1, w w) with a view to analyzing the relation of compatibility between RA and FF. METHODS: Acute toxicity effects were measured by experimental data of half-lethal dose (LD50) or maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of mice.Hepatic injury effects were measured by experimental data of coefficient of liver, levels of ALT and AKP in serum and those of LDH and AKP in liver homogenate tissue of mice.Histopathologic examination of mice liver was also carried out.The anti-tussive, anti-asthmatic and expectorant effects were observed by concentrated ammonia method in mice, SO2 method in mice, phenolsulfonphthalein excretion volume in mice, trachea cilia movement of pigeon in vivo and the contraction of tracheal strips of guinea pig in vitro. RESULTS: LD50 of RA was 54.1 g/kg for mice.RA obviously increased the levels of ALP and AKP in serum and those of LDH and AKP in liver homogenate tissue of mice, and significantly injured the liver's tissue.MTD of FF was 136 g/kg for mice, about 755.6 times as clinical dose.The combinative group obviously degraded the injuries on liver of mice comparing with RA groups.Compared with two individual drugs, the mixture played a more prominent role in reducing tussive times caused by ammonia and SO2 in mice, promoting phenolsulfonphthalein excretion of mice and trachea cilia movement of pigeon in vivo disengaging the contraction of tracheal strips of guinea pig in vitro. CONCLUSION: The mixed RA with FF can significantly lower the toxicity of RA and strengthen pharmacological effect of two individual drugs, indicating that the mixture of RA and FF is provided with detoxicant and mutual promotion effect.

Key words: Radix Asteris, Flos Farfarae, compatibility, LD50, hepatic injury, anti-tussive, anti-asthmatic, expectorant