Atractylodes is a genus in the plant family Asteraceae. Herbs 20-60 cm tall. Rhizome thick. Stem branched from base, glabrous. Leaves papery, glabrous. Middle cauline leaves petiolate; petiole 3-6 cm; leaf blade divided almost to base into 3-5 segments; lateral segments entire or bipartite, oblanceolate to ± narrowly elliptic, 4.5-7 × 1.5-2 cm; terminal segment largest.  Atractylodes macrocephala is cultivated throughout China. The rhizomes are used medicinally.

A modified technique of rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) was applied to incorporate essential oil extracted from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz into liposomes. In the modified RESS process, both the liposomal materials and the essential oil were dissolved in the mixture of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2)/ethanol and then the solution was sprayed into an aqueous medium through a coaxial nozzle to form liposomes suspension.