Glycyrrhizin protects against diosbulbin B-induced hepatotoxicity by inhibiting the metabolic activation of diosbulbin B.

Diosbulbin B (DIOB), isolated from herbal medicine Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), could induce severe liver injury, and its toxicology was closely associated with CYP3A4-mediated metabolic oxidation of furan moiety to the corresponding cis-enedial reactive metabolite. Glycyrrhizin (GL), the major bioactive ingredient in licorice, can inhibit the activity of CYP3A4. Thus, GL may ameliorate hepatotoxicity of DIOB when GL and DIOB are co-administrated. The study aimed to investigate the protective effect of GL on DIOB-induced hepatotoxicity and the underlying mechanism. Biochemical and histopathological analysis demonstrated that GL alleviated DIOB-induced hepatotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro study with mouse liver microsomes (MLMs) demonstrated that GL reduced the formation of metabolic activation-derived pyrrole-glutathione (GSH) conjugates from DIOB. Toxicokinetic studies showed that the pretreatment with GL caused the increase of AUCs and Cmax of DIOB in blood of mice, resulting in accelerating the accumulation of DIOB in the circulation. In addition, the pretreatment with GL alleviated DIOB-induced hepatic GSH depletion. In summary, GL ameliorated DIOB-induced hepatotoxicity, possibly related to the inhibition of the metabolic activation of DIOB. Thus, development of a standardized combination of DIOB with GL may protect patients from DIOB-induced liver injury.

Protection of schisantherin A against dictamnine-induced hepatotoxicity: Pharmacokinetic insights.

Dictamnine (DIC), as the most abundant furoquinoline alkaloid ingredient of the herbal medicine Cortex Dictamni (CD), can induce severe liver injury. A previous study found that DIC-induced liver injury was initiated by cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A)-mediated metabolic activation and subsequent formation of adducts with cellular proteins. Schisantherin A (SchA) is the major lignan component of the herbal medicine Schisandra chinensis (SC). SC is frequently combined with CD used in numerous Chinese medicinal formulas for the treatment of eczema and urticaria. Furthermore, SC could protect against CD-induced hepatotoxicity. The objective of the study was to investigate the protective effect of SchA on DIC-induced hepatotoxicity based on pharmacokinetic interactions. The studies found that SchA exerted a protective effect on DIC-induced hepatotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that pretreatment with SchA enhanced the area under concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximal concentration (Cmax ) values of DIC in the serum and liver tissue of mice, indicating that SchA could augment the accumulation of DIC in the circulation. In vitro metabolism assays with mouse liver microsomes (MLMs) showed that SchA reduced the production of DIC-glutathione (GSH) conjugate. In addition, SchA significantly reduced the excretion of DIC-GSH conjugate in the urine of mice and relieved hepatic GSH depletion induced by DIC. These results suggested that SchA could inhibit the metabolic activation of DIC in vitro and in vivo. In summary, our findings showed that the observed pharmacokinetic interactions might be attributable to the inhibition of the metabolism of DIC by SchA, which might be responsible for the protection of SchA against DIC-induced hepatotoxicity. Therefore, the development of a standardized combination of DIC and SchA may protect patients from DIC-induced liver injury.

Glycyrrhetinic acid ameliorates diosbulbin B-induced hepatotoxicity in mice by modulating metabolic activation of diosbulbin B.

Exposure to diosbulbin B (DBB), the primary component of the herbal medicine Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), can cause liver injury in humans and experimental animals. A previous study found DBB-induced hepatotoxicity was initiated by CYP3A4-mediated metabolic activation and subsequent formation of adducts with cellular proteins. The herbal medicine licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) is frequently combined with DB used in numerous Chinese medicinal formulas in an effort to protect against DB-elicited hepatotoxicity. Importantly, glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), the major bioactive ingredient in licorice, inhibits CYP3A4 activity. The study aimed to investigate the protection of GA against DBB-induced hepatotoxicity and the underlying mechanism. Biochemical and histopathological analysis showed GA alleviated DBB-induced liver injury in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro metabolism assay with mouse liver microsomes (MLMs) indicated that GA decreased the generation of metabolic activation-derived pyrrole-glutathione (GSH) conjugates from DBB. Toxicokinetic studies demonstrated that GA increased maximal serum concentration (Cmax ) and area under the serum-time curve (AUC) of DBB in mice. In addition, GA attenuated hepatic GSH depletion caused by DBB. Further mechanistic studies showed that GA reduced the production of DBB-derived pyrroline-protein adducts in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that GA exerted protective effect against DBB-induced hepatotoxicity, mainly correlated with suppressing the metabolic activation of DBB. Therefore, the development of a standardized combination of DBB with GA may protect patients from DBB-induced hepatotoxicity.

Phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity from strawberry leaves: a study on microwave-assisted extraction optimization.

A microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technology developed to extract polyphenols from the strawberry leaves was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Box-Behnken design (BBD) with four-factor and three-level was used to estimate the effects of extraction time, microwave power, ethanol concentration, and liquid-solid ratio in strawberry leaf extracts on total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP). The optimized conditions were extraction time of 40 s, ethanol concentration of 51.1%, microwave power of 300 W, and liquid-solid ratio of 61.6 mL/g. The TPC, inhibition percentage of DPPH radical, and FRAP were 89.21 mg GAE/g, 79.80%, and 34.62 mM FE/g under optimal conditions. The absolute errors between the experimental and predicted values were less than 5.00%, revealing that the model was fitted well. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis demonstrated that the major antioxidant polyphenols with the highest concentration extracted at the optimum conditions were sinapic acid and rutin. This study proves that the MAE technique can efficiently extract polyphenols with high antioxidant activity from strawberry leaves.

Immunochemical Detection of Protein Modification Derived from Metabolic Activation of 8-Epidiosbulbin E Acetate.

Furanoid 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate (EEA) is one of the most abundant diterpenoid lactones in herbal medicine Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB). Our early work proved that EEA could be metabolized to EEA-derived cis-enedial (EDE), a reactive intermediate, which is required for the hepatotoxicity observed in experimental animals exposed to EEA. Also, we found that EDE could modify hepatic protein by reaction with thiol groups and/or primary amines of protein. The present study was inclined to develop polyclonal antibodies to detect protein modified by EDE. An immunogen was prepared by reaction of EDE with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), and polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits immunized with the immunogen. Antisera collected from the immunized rabbits demonstrated high titers evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Immunoblot analysis showed that the polyclonal antibodies recognized EDE-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a hapten load-dependent manner but did not cross-react with native BSA. Competitive inhibition experiments elicited high selectivity of the antibodies toward EDE-modified BSA. The antibodies allowed us to detect and enrich EDE-modified protein in liver homogenates obtained from EEA-treated mice. The developed immunoprecipitation technique, along with mass spectrometry, enabled us to succeed in identifying multiple hepatic proteins of animals given EEA. We have successfully developed polyclonal antibodies with the ability to recognize EDE-derived protein adducts, which is a unique tool for us to define the mechanisms of toxic action of EEA.

In Vitro DNA Adduction Resulting from Metabolic Activation of Diosbulbin B and 8-Epidiosbulbin E Acetate.

Diosbulbin B (DBB) and 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate (EEA), belonging to furan-containing diterpenoid lactones, are the primary components of Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), a traditional Chinese medicine herb. Our earlier studies indicated that consumption of DBB or EEA induced acute hepatotoxicities. Both DBB and EEA were bioactivated by P450 3A4 to generate the corresponding cis-enedial reactive metabolites which are associated with the hepatotoxicities. It has been proposed that the electrophilic intermediates attack cellular nucleophiles such as protein or DNA, thought to be a mechanism of triggering toxicities. The purposes of our present study were to define the interaction of the electrophilic reactive metabolites originating from DBB and EEA with 2'-deoxyguanosine (dGuo), 2'-deoxycytidine (dCyd), and 2'-deoxyadenosine (dAdo) and to characterize DNA adducts arising from the reactive metabolites of DBB and EEA. The reactive metabolites of DBB and EEA were found to covalently bind to the exocyclic and endocyclic nitrogens of dCyd, dGuo, and dAdo to generate oxadiazabicyclo[3.3.0]octaimine adducts. The reactive metabolites of DBB and EEA also attacked dGuo, dAdo, and dCyd of calf thymus DNA. The DNA adducts possibly contribute to the toxicologies of DBB and EEA.

Development of Polyclonal Antibodies for Detection of Diosbulbin B-Derived cis-Enedial Protein Adducts.

Diosbulbin B (DSB), a major component of herbal medicine Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), can be metabolized to an electrophilic intermediate, DSB-derived cis-enedial (DDE). DDE was suggested to contribute to the hepatotoxicity observed in experimental animals and humans after their exposure to DSB. Our previous work found that DDE reacted with primary amino and/or sulfhydryl groups of hepatic protein. The objective of the study was to develop polyclonal antibodies that can recognize DDE-derived protein adducts. Immunogens synthesized from DDE and keyhole limpet hemocyanin were employed to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated high titers of antisera obtained from immunized rabbits. Immunoblot analysis showed that DDE-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) was recognized by the obtained polyclonal antibodies in a concentration-dependent manner and without cross-reaction to native BSA. Competitive ELISA and competitive immunoblot analyses defined the specificity of the antibodies to recognize BSA modified by DDE. Immunoblot analysis also detected a multitude of chemiluminescent bands with a variety of molecular weights in liver homogenates that were harvested from mice treated with DSB. In summary, we have successfully raised polyclonal antibodies to detect protein adducts derived from DDE.

Chemical Identity of Interaction of Protein with Reactive Metabolite of Diosbulbin B In Vitro and In Vivo.

Diosbulbin B (DIOB), a hepatotoxic furan-containing compound, is a primary ingredient in Dioscorea bulbifera L., a common herbal medicine. Metabolic activation is required for DIOB-induced liver injury. Protein covalent binding of an electrophilic reactive intermediate of DIOB is considered to be one of the key mechanisms of cytotoxicity. A bromine-based analytical technique was developed to characterize the chemical identity of interaction of protein with reactive intermediate of DIOB. Cysteine (Cys) and lysine (Lys) residues were found to react with the reactive intermediate to form three types of protein modification, including Cys adduction, Schiff's base, and Cys/Lys crosslink. The crosslink showed time- and dose-dependence in animals given DIOB. Ketoconazole pretreatment decreased the formation of the crosslink derived from DIOB, whereas pretreatment with dexamethasone or buthionine sulfoximine increased such protein modification. These data revealed that the levels of hepatic protein adductions were proportional to the severity of hepatotoxicity of DIOB.

Sensitive bromine-based screening of potential toxic furanoids in Dioscorea bulbifera L.

Numerous furanoids have been reported to be toxic, and many of them were found in herbal medicines. Toxicities of furanoids are suggested to result from the generation of cis-enedials via biotransformation. The detection of the electrophilic metabolic intermediates is a challenge. Earlier, we developed a selective approach to screen potential toxic furanoids, through which we found two major furanoids, diosbulbin B and 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate, in Dioscorea bulbifera L., a known furanoid-containing and hepatotoxic herbal medicine. In the present study, we improved the approach to analyze furanoids in D. bulbifera L., which allowed us to detect additional six potential furanoids, including diosbulbin A, diosbulbin D, diosbulbin E, diosbulbin F, diosbulbin M, and diosbulbin D glycoside. The achievements of this study enhanced the sensitivity to screen potential toxic furanoids through elevating S/N values by approximately 3 times. This will facilitate the understanding of mechanisms of toxic actions of D. bulbifera L. and other furanoid-containing toxic herbal medicines.

Gamma Irradiation Upregulates B-cell Translocation Gene 2 to Attenuate Cell Proliferation of Lung Cancer Cells Through the JNK and NF-κB Pathways.

Gamma ray can promote cancer cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. It is often used in the clinical treatment of tumors, including lung cancer. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of gamma ray treatment and its correlation with BTG2 in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest regulation in a lung cancer cell line. A549 cell viability, apoptosis rate, and cell cycle were investigated after gamma ray treatment. We then used siRNA for BTG2 to detect the effect of BTG2 knockdown on the progress of gamma ray-treated lung cancer cells. Finally, we investigated the signaling pathway by which gamma ray might regulate BTG2. We found that gamma ray inhibited A549 cell viability and promoted apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, while BTG2 knockdown could relieve the effect caused by gamma ray on A549 cells. Moreover, we confirmed that the effect of BTG2 partly depends on p53 expression and gamma ray-promoting BTG2 expression through the JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway. Our study assessed the possible mechanism of gamma ray in tumor treatment and also investigated the role of BTG2 in gamma ray therapy. All these findings might give a deep understanding of the effect of gamma ray on the progression of lung cancer involving BTG2.

Oxidative bioactivation of nitrofurantoin in rat liver microsomes.

1. Nitrofurantoin (NFT), a 5-nitrofuran derivative, has been widely used for the treatment of specific urinary tract infections. It has been reported that exposure to NFT was associated with various adverse effects, particularly hepatotoxicity and pneumotoxicity. The objective of the study was to identify reactive metabolites of NFT and explore the mechanisms of the toxicities. 2. An epoxide intermediate generated in microsomal incubations was trapped by glutathione (GSH) and 4-bromobenzyl mercaptan (BBM), and the resulting GSH and BBM conjugates were characterized by LC-MS/MS. A spontaneous denitration took place in the trapping reaction. 2-Nitrofuran and 2-hydroxyfuran as model compounds were employed to probe the mechanism of the denitration. 3. The oxidative activation of NFT was P450-dependent, and P450 3A5 and P450 2A6 were the principal enzymes responsible for the bioactivation. The findings facilitate the understanding of the mechanisms of NFT-induced toxicities.

Lysine- and cysteine-based protein adductions derived from toxic metabolites of 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate.

Furanoid 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate (EEA) is a major constituent of herbal medicine Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), a traditional herbal medicine widely used in Asian nations. Our early studies demonstrated that administration of EEA caused acute hepatotoxicity in mice and the observed toxicity required P450-mediated metabolic activation. Protein modification by reactive metabolites of EEA has been suggested to be an important mechanism of EEA-induced hepatotoxicity. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the interaction of the electrophilic reactive metabolites derived from EEA with lysine and cysteine residues of proteins and to define the correlation of protein adductions of EEA and the hepatotoxicity induced by EEA. EEA-derived cis-enedial was found to modify both lysine and cysteine residues of proteins. The observed modifications increased with the increase in doses administered in the animals. The formation of protein adductions derived from the reactive metabolites of EEA were potentiated by buthionine sulfoximine, but were attenuated by ketoconazole. This work facilitated better understanding of the mechanisms of toxic action of EEA.

Role of Metabolic Activation in 8-Epidiosbulbin E Acetate-Induced Liver Injury: Mechanism of Action of the Hepatotoxic Furanoid.

8-Epidiosbulbin E acetate (EEA), a furanoid, was unexpectedly found to be the most abundant diterpenoid lactone in certain varieties of Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), a traditional herbal medicine widely used in Asian nations. This herb has been reported to cause liver injury in humans and experimental animals. The occurrence of EEA in DB was dependent on its commercial source. The present study shows that EEA exhibits time- and dose-dependent liver injury in mice. Pretreatment with ketoconazole prevented the animals from developing EEA-induced liver injury, caused 7- and 13-fold increases in the plasma Cmax and AUC of EEA, and decreased urinary excretion of glutathione conjugates derived from EEA. Pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine exacerbated EEA-induced hepatotoxicity. In order to define the role of EEA's furan moiety in EEA-induced hepatotoxicity, we synthesized tetrahydro-EEA by catalytic hydrogenation of the furan moiety. No liver injury was observed in the animals given the same doses of tetrahydro-EEA as those used with EAA. The results indicate that EEA itself does not appear to be hepatotoxic but that the electrophilic intermediate generated by the metabolic activation of the furan ring mediated by cytochromes P450 is responsible for EEA-induced liver injury.

Electrophilicities and Protein Covalent Binding of Demethylation Metabolites of Colchicine.

Colchicine, an alkaloid existing in plants of Liliaceous colchicum, has been widely used in the treatment of gout and familial Mediterranean fever. The administration of colchicine was found to cause liver injury in humans. The mechanisms of colchicine-induced liver toxicity remain unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the electrophilicities of demethylation metabolites of colchicine and investigate the protein adductions derived from the reactive metabolites of colchicine. Four demethylated colchicine (1-, 2-, 3-, and 10-DMCs), namely, M1-M4, were detected in colchicine-fortified microsomal incubations. Four N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) conjugates (M5-M8) derived from colchicine were detected in the microsomes in the presence of NAC. M5 and M6 were derived from 10-DMC. M7 resulted from the reaction of 2-DMC or 3-DMC with NAC, and M8 originated from 10-DMC. Microsomal protein covalent binding was observed after exposure to colchicine. Two cysteine adducts (CA-1 and CA-2) derived from 10-DMC were found in proteolytically digested microsomal protein samples after incubation with colchicine. The findings allow us to define the chemical property of demethylation metabolites of colchicine and the interaction between protein and the reactive metabolites of colchicine generated in situ.

Determination of the chemical constituents of the different processed products of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Rhizomes by high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

In this work, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a hybrid quadrupole time of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS/MS) was used to study chemical compositions of different processed products of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae (RA). A Grace Alltima(TM) C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) was used for separation. Mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile, using gradient elution. ESI-MS data was acquired in both positive and negative mode. The experiment was established on the basis of a series of reference substances (two xanthone and seven saponins) to qualitatively identify the chemical compounds of different processed products of RA by MS analysis. There was no difference in the type of chemical constituents between different processed products of RA. A total of 25 compounds were identified, including four xanthones, 21 steroidal saponins and eight pairs of isomers.

Metabolic activation of furan moiety makes Diosbulbin B hepatotoxic.

Diosbulbin B (DIOB), a furanoid, is a major constituent of herbal medicine Dioscorea bulbifera L. Exposure to DIOB caused liver injury in humans and experimental animals. The mechanisms of DIOB-induced hepatotoxicities remain unknown. The present study demonstrated that DIOB induced hepatotoxicities in a time- and dose-dependent manner in mice. H&E stained histopathologic image showed the occurrence of necrosis in the liver obtained from the mice treated with DIOB at dose of 200 mg/kg. Pretreatment with KTC protected the animals from hepatotoxicities and hepatic GSH depletion induced by DIOB, increased area under the concentration-time curve of blood DIOB, decreased urinary excretion of GSH conjugates derived from DIOB, and increased urinary excretion of parent drug. Pretreatment with BSO exacerbated DIOB-induced hepatotoxicities. In order to define the role of furan moiety in DIOB-induced liver toxicities, we replaced the furan of DIOB with a tetrahydrofuran group by chemical hydrogenation of the furan ring of DIOB. No liver injury was observed in the animals given the same doses of tetrahydro-DIOB. The furan moiety was essential for DIOB-induced hepatotoxicities. The results implicate the cis-enedial reactive metabolite of DIOB was responsible for the observed toxicities. The observed modest depletion of hepatic GSH in DIOB-treated animals suggests the actions of one or more reactive metabolites, and the hepatic injury observed could be due at least in part to reactions of these metabolites with crucial biomolecules. Cytochrome P450 3A enzymes are implicated in DIOB-induced hepatotoxicities by catalyzing the formation of the reactive metabolite of DIOB.

In vitro and in vivo studies of the metabolic activation of 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate.

Furanoid 8-epidiosbulbin E acetate (EEA) is a major constituent of herbal medicine Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), a traditional Chinese medicine herb. Our preliminary studies demonstrated that administration of EEA caused acute hepatotoxicity in mice, and the observed toxicity required cytochromes P450-mediated metabolism. Metabolic activation studies of EEA were performed in vitro and in vivo. Microsomal incubations of EEA supplemented with N-acetyl lysine (NAL) and glutathione (GSH) generated six metabolites (M1-M6). M1-M4 were characterized as pyrrole derivatives, and M5 and M6 were pyrrolinones. M2-M6 were detected in bile and/or urine of rats given EEA. Dimethyldioxirane-mediated oxidation of EEA in the presence of NAL and GSH produced M1-M6, all of which were generated in microsomal incubations. The structures of M3 and M6 were confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR. These findings provide evidence for the metabolic activation of EEA to the corresponding cis-enedial intermediate both in vitro and in vivo. Ketoconazole inhibited the microsomal production of the cis-enedial, and P450 3A4 was found to be the primary enzyme involved in the bioactivation of EEA.

Metabolites characterization of timosaponin AIII in vivo and in vitro by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Timosaponin AIII, a major saponin found in Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge., exhibits a wide spectrum of bioactivities. It is believed that it may be further developed into a promising new drug. To better understand the pharmacological activities of the component, the investigation of its in vivo and in vitro metabolism was necessary. In this study, the metabolic profile of timosaponin AIII was investigated using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric (LC/MS) techniques. Two different types of mass spectrometers-aquadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer and hybrid quadrupole/linear ion trap (Q-TRAP) mass spectrometer were employed to acquire structural information on timosaponin AIII metabolites. Plasma, bile, urine and feces were collected from rats after a single oral dose of 400mg/kg of water solution. A total of 19 metabolites were detected and tentatively identified based on the mass spectral fragmentation patterns, elution order or confirmed using available reference standard. Two metabolites were detected after incubating with rat liver microsomal. What's more, we isolated sarsasapogenin from the collection of urine samples after timosaponin AIII (5.0g) giving orally to 20 rats at a dose of 150.0mg/kg in an interval of 7 days. The present study provided important information about the metabolism of timosaponin AIII which will be helpful for fully understanding the mechanism of this compound's action.

N-acetyl lysine/glutathione-derived pyrroles as potential ex vivo biomarkers of bioactivated furan-containing compounds.

Many furan-containing compounds have been reported to be cytotoxic and/or carcinogenic agents. The toxic furans exert their adverse effects possibly through metabolic activation of the furans to corresponding epoxides or/and cis-enediones. Detection of the reactive metabolites is a challenge since the electrophiles often have short lives in vivo, and they are too reactive to be isolated for characterization. Seven compounds, including 2,5-dimethylfuran, R-(+)-menthofuran, R-(+)-pulegone, caesalmin C, furanodiene, diosbulbin B, and limonin, were selected for a biomarker search study. Glutathione (GSH) conjugates derived from the test compounds were detected in bile of rats, and the types of the biliary GSH conjugates observed differed from each other and were unpredictable. However, upon mixing of the bile with a solution of N-acetyl lysine (NAL), pyrroles derived from NAL and GSH were exclusively detected in all the bile samples without any exception. The formation of the pyrrole-NAL/GSH conjugates was verified by microsomal incubations and chemical synthesis. The findings facilitate the development of in vivo biomarkers of metabolic activation of furanoids.

Cytochrome p450-mediated metabolic activation of diosbulbin B.

Diosbulbin B (DIOB), a furan-containing diterpenoid lactone, is the most abundant component of Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB), a traditional Chinese medicine herb. Administration of purified DIOB or DB extracts has been reported to cause liver injury in animals. The mechanisms of DIOB-induced hepatotoxicity remain unknown. The major objective of this study was to identify reactive metabolites of DIOB. A DIOB-derived cis-enedial was trapped by N-acetyl lysine (NAL) and glutathione (GSH) or N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) in rat and human liver microsomal incubation systems after exposure to DIOB. Four metabolites (M1-M4) associated with GSH were detected by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Apparently, M1 was derived from both NAL and GSH. M2 and M3 resulted from the reaction of GSH without the involvement of NAL. Two molecules of GSH participated in the formation of M4. M2 and M3 were also detected in bile and urine of rats given DIOB. M5, a DIOB-derived NAC/NAL conjugate, was detected in microsomal incubations with DIOB fortified with NAC and NAL as trapping agents. Biomimetic M1-M5 were prepared by oxidation of DIOB with Oxone for metabolite identification. Microsomal incubation study demonstrated that ketoconazole inhibited the production of the enedial in a concentration-dependent manner, and CYP3A4 was found to be the enzyme responsible for the metabolic activation of DIOB. The metabolism study facilitates the understanding of the role of bioactivation of DIOB in its hepatotoxicity.