Objective This study is an investigation of the anti-inebriation effects of a herbal composition of Semen Hoveniae, Radix Puerariae and Fructus Schisandrae (SRF) against acute alcoholic intoxication.Methods The animals were treated intragastrically with SRF extract (SRFE) for 14 consecutive days, and oral administration of ethanol was conducted one hour subsequent to the final treatment.The effects of SRFE pretreatments on righting reflex, inebriety rates, kinetic parameters of blood ethanol and acetaldehyde,including times to peak concentrations, peak concentrations (Cmax), and area under the time-concentration curves (AUC) were determined.In addition; levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), along with the activities of cytochrome P450 2El (CYP2E1) and selected antioxidative enzymes, and the contents of malonaldehyde (MDA) were measured.Results SRFE-pretreated rodents exhibited lower rates of intoxication, longer times to loss of righting reflex, and shortened times to recovery of righting reflex than did animals not pretreated with SRFE.The Cmax and AUC were lower in the pretreated animals than in controls, which corresponded to higher levels of ADH and ALDH in the stomachs, small intestines, and livers of the SRFE-treated animals.The activities of hepatic CYP2E1 were lower in SRFE-pretreated animals, which also exhibited higher activities of some antioxidant enzymes and lower hepatic MDA levels.Conclusion These findings suggest that the anti-inebriation effects of SRFE may involve inhibition of ethanol absorption, promotion of ethanol metabolism via ADH pathways, and enhancing hepatic anti-oxidative functions.