[Chemical pattern recognition in the Rhizoma of Atractylodes macrocephala].

OBJECTIVE: To establish chemical pattern recognition method for the identification and evaluation of Atractylodes macrocephala. METHOD: The chemical constituents in methanol extract of 32 samples of A. macrocephala were determined by HPLC. The fingerprints were obtained and were handled by hierarchical clustering analysis and stepwise discriminant analysis. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: According to the result of classification, all samples collected were devided into three Grades--the superior, the ordinary and the fake. Chemical pattern recognition method was established. It may be of practical value for the quality control of A. macrocephala.