Chemical Differentiation of Genetically Identified Atractylodes japonica, A. macrocephala, and A. chinensis Rhizomes Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Chemometric Analysis

The rhizome of Atractylodes japonica, which is a herbal medicine used for gastrointestinal therapeutics, has been categorized with A. macrocephala rhizome or A. chinensis rhizome based on different therapeutic criteria in Korea, China, and Japan. In the present study, 61 A. japonica, A. macrocephala, and A. chinensis rhizomes were collected from Korea and China and were genetically identified by internal transcribed spacer sequencing analysis. Chromatographic profiles were obtained from high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the methanol and hot-water extracts of Atractylodes rhizomes and chemical differentiation of the rhizomes was carried out using chemometric statistical analyses such as principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis. The results from chromatographic profiles and chemometric analyses demonstrate that A. japonica rhizomes showed apparent chemical differences from A. macrocephala and A. chinensis rhizomes in the methanol extracts. In contrast, no clear distinction was apparent for the hot-water extracts of Atractylodes rhizomes, especially A. chinensis rhizomes. These results indicate that there is a clear chemical difference between A. japonica and A. macrocephala rhizomes; however, the chemical diversity of A. chinensis rhizome shows different chemical relationships with A. japonica or A. macrocephala rhizome, dependent on the chemical features.