Atractylodes macrocephala

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Atractylis macrocephala
• Atractylis macrocephala var. hunanensis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is within the genus Atractylodes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across several regions in East and Southeast Asia. Within China, it can be found specifically in the South-Central and Southeast territories. Its presence extends into Eastern Asia, where it grows in both Japan and Korea. Additionally, the species is located within the Indo-China region, specifically in Vietnam. These various locations highlight its broad geographical range across the continent.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Atractylodes macrocephala is characterized by its nature as a perennial herb, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. Throughout its lifecycle, the plant establishes a robust presence via a thick, fleshy tuberous rhizome that serves as a primary storage organ for nutrients and water. During the initial stages of development, the plant focuses on root system establishment before producing its characteristic large, deeply lobed leaves. As a perennial, it undergoes seasonal cycles of vegetative growth during favorable environmental conditions and enters periods of dormancy to survive adverse periods. The reproductive phase involves the development of flowering stalks that produce small, inconspicuous flowers, eventually leading to the formation of achenes. Because it is a perennial, the plant can regenerate from its rhizomatous structures, ensuring long-term survival and the ability to produce multiple flowering events over several years.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Atractylodes macrocephala is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. This species is a self-supporting plant that lacks climbing tendencies, maintaining an upright stature without the need for external support. In terms of physical dimensions, the plant typically reaches a mean height of 0.4 m, with individual specimens ranging from a minimum height of 0.2 m to a maximum height of 0.6 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Plant height max:

0.6 m

Plant height mean:

0.4 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiological characteristics of Atractylodes macrocephala are closely tied to its vegetative development, particularly regarding its foliar morphology. The leaf dimensions exhibit specific variability within the species, reflecting a controlled growth pattern during its developmental stages. On average, the leaves maintain a mean length of 3.5 cm, though they demonstrate a range of morphological plasticity. This range is bounded by a minimum leaf length of 3 cm and reaches a maximum length of 4 cm. These specific measurements in leaf length are critical indicators of the plant's metabolic capacity and its ability to optimize surface area for photosynthetic efficiency and gas exchange within its native habitat.

Leaf length max:

4 cm

Leaf length mean:

3.5 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Reproduction

Reproduction in Atractylodes macrocephaloides is facilitated through the production of specialized fruiting bodies that serve as the primary vehicle for seed dispersal. The plant develops distinct fruits characterized by a highly consistent morphological structure, showing no significant variation in size across different specimens. Specifically, the fruit length remains uniform, with a mean value of 0.75 cm, which aligns exactly with both the minimum and maximum recorded measurements of 0.75 cm. This lack of dimensional variance in fruit length suggests a highly stabilized reproductive trait within the species, ensuring that the dispersal units maintain a standardized size of 0.75 cm to optimize their survival and distribution in the natural environment.

Fruit length max:

0.75 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Atractylodes macrocephala has 4 reported plant parts identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include rhizome, root, leaf, seed.

Rhizome

1. South African journal of botany : official journal of the South African Association of Botanists = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir plantkunde : amptelike tydskrif van die Suid-Afrikaanse Genootskap van Plantkundiges
2. The Journal of organic chemistry
3. Chinese journal of natural medicines
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Acta pharmaceutica Sinica. B

Root

1. Acta pharmaceutica Sinica. B
2. Natural product research
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Leaf

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Seed

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Chemicals

Atractylodes macrocephala has 80 reported phytochemicals identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Atractylenolide III, Atractylenolide I, Atractylenolide II, Atractylon, Flavonoids.

Atractylenolide III

1. Journal of natural medicines
2. Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
3. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Atractylenolide I

1. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy
2. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
4. Natural product research
5. Chemistry & biodiversity

Atractylenolide II

1. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
4. Journal of separation science

Atractylon

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
2. Journal of separation science
3. Chemistry & biodiversity

Flavonoids

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Sesquiterpenes

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Fitoterapia

AMP

1. Carbohydrate polymers
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica

ARA

1. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
2. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences

Atractylodin

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Journal of separation science

GAL

1. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
2. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences

Activities

Atractylodes macrocephala has 11 reported activities identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antioxidant, Antiperspirant, Antitumor, Digestive.

Anticancer

1. Journal of separation science
2. Platelets

Antioxidant

1. ACS applied materials & interfaces

Antiperspirant

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antitumor

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Digestive

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Diuretic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Gastroprotective

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Hepatoprotective

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Laxative

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Neuroprotective

1. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology

Conditions

Atractylodes macrocephala has 42 reported investigations on conditions identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, Alzheimer's disease, anorexia, cerebrovascular disorders, dyspepsia.

Cancer

1. BMC plant biology
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Alzheimer's disease

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Anorexia

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Journal of separation science

Cerebrovascular disorders

1. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology
2. Neurochemical research

Dyspepsia

1. Journal of separation science
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Gastrointestinal diseases

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Hypertension

1. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology
2. Neurochemical research

Immunity

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Ulcerative colitis

1. Carbohydrate polymers
2. International immunopharmacology

Alzheimer disease

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Atractylodes macrocephala has 26 reported preparations identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include rhizomes, essential oils, AMR, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome (AMR), Atractylodes macrocephala Rhizome (AMR).

Rhizomes

1. The Journal of organic chemistry
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Fitoterapia

Essential oils

1. Natural product communications
2. Chemistry & biodiversity

Amr

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome (amr)

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome (amr)

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Sijunzi decoction

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Tcm

1. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI

Adventitious roots

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Charred atractylodes macrocephala (scnds-1)

1. Nanoscale

Crude herb

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica