Metabolomic profiling and chemical marker identification in medicinal plants of Atractylodes

Abstract Background The genus Atractylodes , native to East Asia, encompasses several species that serve as sources for the widely used traditional Chinese medicines Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma. However, the international trade arouses concern regarding potential confusion and misidentification of Atractylodes species. Objective A comprehensive understanding of the chemical diversity is crucial for ensuring the quality and exploring the potential variations in medicinal efficacy of Atractylodes . Methods The GC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis identified 589 differentially accumulated metabolites across 5 Atractylodes species. Results A total of 150 metabolites were predicted as potential chemical markers for species differentiation and quality assessment of Atractylodes . According to the metabolic profiles, the species of Atractylodes can be roughly classified into three categories: A. lancea and A. coreana with the volatile oil components being mainly atractylodin and β -eudesmol; A. macrocephala with the biomarker being atractylon; and A. japonica and A. carlinoides lying between the two categories above. Conclusions Metabolomic results indicated that the metabolic profiles of A. carlinoides and A. macrocephala were similar and distinct from those of the other three species. Sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical components in the rhizome of A. carlinoides , which indicated the potential medicinal value of this plant.