Integrated morphological observation, metabolomics, and transcriptomics to investigate the effect of growth years on the quality of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz

The findings suggest that A. macrocephala aged 5 and 10 years exhibit superior quality, with a more distinct "Hejing" morphology and higher levels of bioactive compounds. The quality stabilises after five years, indicating that older plants may possess enhanced medicinal value.