Study on the Origin Traceability of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. and Its Correlation with Soil Based on Mineral Elements

We explored the characteristics of mineral elements of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (AMK) in different producing areas and their correlation with soil factors, which is expected to provide some guidance for the artificial cultivation of AMK. The test solutions of AMK and soil were prepared by digestions, AMK digested with HNO3, while soil using mixed acid such as HClO4+H2SO4+HF+HNO3. In this study, the content of 41 mineral elements in AMK and 41 chemical composition indexes in soil from 5 regions in china were mainly determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Among them, the chemical composition of Na2O, MgO, Al2O3, K2O, CaO, TFe2O3, Ba, Cr, Mn, Ni, Sr, V in soil were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and As, Se were detected by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). In addition, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the difference of mineral element content in different regions, cluster analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used for pattern recognition, Pearson correlation analysis was applied to discuss the relationship between multi-element in AMK and soil factors. The results show that both the unsupervised cluster analysis and the supervised PLS-DA can correctly distinguish AMK and soil from different habitats. The content of rare earth elements in AMK in Zhejiang Province is positively correlated with the content of rare earth elements in soil, which also affected by other mineral elements in the soil. Besides, trace elements like Li, V, Mn, Co, Cu, Rb, Cd, Cs, Ba can be regarded as the key factors for traceability of AMK. K2O, CaO, Na2O, MgO, Sr, Mn, Co, Cr, Se, Ni, Cd can be used as the basis for soil discrimination. Mineral elements can be regulated by appropriate control of soil moisture and application of specific fertilizer in the production practice of AMK. Moreover, soil is an important factor for the formation of genuine medicinal materials. Rare earth elements in the soil can promote the absorption of Mn, Zn and other trace elements in AMK. This study will provide some help and references to explain the formation mechanism of genuine AMK and ensure its efficacy and quality.