[Abstract] The Chinese materia medica (CMM) has been applied in the prevention and treatment of many diseases

for thousands of years, including common diseases, frequently-occurring diseases, and rare diseases with remarkable

curative effects. However, due to abuse or misuse, environmental pollution, and improper preparation methods

in clinical application, some CMM present safety problems, such as cardiac toxicity, liver toxicity, neurotoxicity,

renal toxicity, and even carcinogenic effects. Based on the coexistence characteristics of toxicity and efficacy of

toxic CMM, integrated analysis is a powerful method to systematically study traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

In our review, scientific connotation of toxic CMM-induced toxicity and efficacy, including historic development

and characteristics of toxic CMM, and challenges for evaluating the toxicity and efficacy of toxic CMM were

summarized. Hereby, we put forward the integrated analysis thought and methods for "material basis of toxicity-

efficacy, mechanisms of toxicity-efficacy, synergy and attenuation principles" of toxic CMM, as well as taking Radix

Aconiti Lateralis Preparata (namely Fuzi) as the representative to elaborate the integrated analysis path on the

"toxicity-efficacy" of toxic CMM, which provides scientific evaluation ideas and criterion of clinical application for

CMM in the prevention and treatment of diseases in accordance with the characteristics of TCM.

[Key words] Toxic Chinese materia medica; Toxicity-efficacy; Integrated analysis; Traditional Chinese

Medicine; Radix aconiti lateralis preparata (Fuzi)