Centella Asiatica
There are three main chemical constituents in Gotu kola. The first is asiaticoside, which is a triterpene glycoside and classified as an antibiotic. It aids in wound healing and has been used in the treatment of leprosy and tuberculosis in the Far East. The second constituent is a pair of chemicals, brahmoside and brahminoside, which are saponin glycosides. These are diuretic in nature and have a slightly sedative action in large doses. Finally, there is madecassoside, a glycoside that is a strong anti-inflammatory agent. The plant is also a source of Vitamin K, magnesium, calcium and sodium.
The most significant compounds derived from this species are asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassic acid and madecassoside (Inamdar et al. 1996). These chemical compounds could be identified from local Malaysian accessions (Ilham et al. 2004). Forest Research Institute of Malaysia is currently involved in developing suitable methods for the identification of elite accessions of Centella asiatica prior to production of standardized extracts for cosmeceutical development. The four triterpenes were identified as chemical markers for the chemical profiling standardized Centella extracts.Other compounds present in fresh C. asiatica were the flavonoids; naringin, quercitin, rutin, cathecin, kampeferol and apigenin which could be as responsible for the beneficial antioxidant properties of this plant (Zainol et al. 2004).
