ABSTRACT
A convenient and sensitive GC-MS method was developed to identify thirteen sesquiterpenes and polyacetylenes (e.g. caryophyllene, γ-elemene, α-caryophyllene, β-selinene, isoledene, germacrene B, elixene, atractylone, hinesol, β-eudesmol, atrctylodin, atractylenolide II and acetylatractylodinol) in Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC., Asteraceae. Among those compounds, four major components including atractylone, hinesol, β-eudesmol and atrctylodin were quantified with standards; contents of other components were estimated by using calibration curve of hinesol. In this study, we presented that the concentrations of those thirteen components varied drastically in A. lancea samples from different producing areas. Among those components, atractylenolide II and acetylatractylodinol were identified by GC-MS for the first time. A hierarchical clustering analysis based on relative peak areas of those thirteen components in total ion current (TIC) profiles was used to characterize A. lancea samples from different producing areas. Further clustering analysis showed that a simplified method with only four major bioactive components could be used to serve the same aim.