〔Abstract〕 Objective To investigate the effects of three different doses of ethanol extracts from Schefflera arboricola Hayata flower on central and cardiac toxicity induced by bupivacaine in rats. Methods Sixty 10-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, 15 in each group. After fasting for 12 h, all rats were given intragastric administration once a day for 3 consecutive days. The control group(group D) was oral administrated with normal saline, and the other three groups were oral administrated with ethanol extract of Schefflera arboricola Hayata flower 2 g(group S1), 4 g(group S2) and 8 g(group S3) per kilogram rat, respectively. Then all rats were intravenous pumped with 0.5% bupivacaine 2 mg/(kg·min). The dosage of bupivacaine was recorded when convulsion, ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest occurred. The blood gas analysis of rats in each group was executed when convulsion occurred. Heart tissue HE section pathological examination was executed. The expression of NMDA receptor 1 and 2 B subunits in hippocampus of rats in each group was measured by qRT-PCR. Results The dosage of bupivacaine in group S1, S2 and S3 was higher than that in group D when convulsion, arrhythmias and cardiac arrest occurred, and the dosage of bupivacaine in group S2 and group S3 was also higher than that in group S1. The differences were both statistically significant(P<0.05). Blood gas analysis showed that PaCO2of rats in group S1, S2 and S3 was higher than that of rats in group D during convulsion, and the difference between group S3 and group D was statistically significant(P<0.05). Histological examination of HE section showed that inflammatory cells infiltrated, interstitial congestion or hemorrhage was obvious in group D. Inflammatory cells infiltration in group S1, S2 and S3 was significantly less than that in group D, and interstitial congestion or hemorrhage was slight. The expression levels of NMDA receptor 1 subunit and 2 B subunit in group S1, S2 and S3 were lower than those in group D by qRT-PCR analysis, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusion The central and cardiac toxicity in rats induced by bupivacaine could be alleviated by pre-administration of the ethanol extract of Schefflera arboricola Hayata flower.