INTRODUCTION:

Since they contain secondary metabolites, plants have been useful to humans for a very long time. Centella asiatica is a widely used herb with a wide range of medical applications. In India, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Madagascar, Centella asiatica L, sometimes known as Indian Pennywort, has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. The Apiaceae family includes the herbaceous creeping plant Centella asiatica (L.) It is referred to as Brabhnmi in Ayurveda, Madukparni in Unani medicine, and Gotu Kola in Western medicine¹.

Centella asiatica is largely recognised as a "Brain food" in India since it is one of the most widely used herbs for treating skin conditions, wound healing, and rejuvenating the nerves and brain cells. Centella asiatica is one of the significant medicinal plants traded internationally, according to reports from the Export and Import Bank of India. However, due to extensive, unrestricted extraction, inadequate cultivation, and insufficient measures to replace it, the natural population of this plant species has been significantly reduced. Additionally, it is currently recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources as a threatened plant species and an endangered species².

Figure1.leaves and flower of centella asiatica³

PLANT DISTRIBUTION:

TableNo.1: Vernacular names in different regions of India⁴

Region/ Language	VernacularName	Region/ Language	Vernacular Name
Hindi	Bemgsag, Brahma-Manduld, Gotukola, Khulakudi, Mandookaparni	Sanskrit	Bhekapami, Bheki, Brahmamanduld, Divya, Supriya
Malyanam	Kodagam, Kodangal, Kutakm, Kutannal, Muthal, Muttil, Muyalchevi	Kanarese	Brahmisoppu, Urage, Vandelga-illikiwigidda, Vondelaga
Telugu	Bekaparnamu, Bokkudu, Saraswatako, Mandukbrahmmi, Saraswatiplant	Gujarati	Barmi, MotiBrahmi
Marathi	Karinga	Tamil	Babassa, Vallarai
Tripura	Thankuni, Thunimankuni	Bengal	Thankuni, Tholkuri
Assam	Manimuni	Deccan	Vallarai
Bihar	Chokiora	Meghalya	Bat-maina
Orisa	Thalkudi	Sinhalese	Hingotukola
Urdu	Bramhi

CLASIFICATION:

Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade Order: Asterides Family: Apiales

Genus: Apiaceaa Species: C.asiatica

Binomialname: Centellaasiatica⁵

OCCURRENCEANDDISTRIBUTION:

The herb Centella asiatica (L) is widespread throughout the world, but it is more prevalent during the rainy season and in wet, marshy areas. Asia, Africa, Australia, the southern United States of America, Central America, and South America are among the hemispheres' warmer regions where the plant is native. It is particularly prevalent in India's marshy regions up to a height of roughly 700 m. According to reports, the plant can also be found at elevations of 1200 metres in Mount Abu (Rajasthan) and 1550 metres in Sikkim⁶.

BOTANICALDESCRIPTION:

The herb Centella asiatica is a thin, trailing plant that roots at the nodes. It has a vertical root stock with a long, reddish, prostate-shaped stem that emerges from the leaf axils.

The leaves are 1.3–7 cm in diameter, orbicular, reniform, whole, crenate, and glaborous.

Sessile, white or reddish flowers with bracts covering them are arranged in umbels of three to six flowers each.

Fruits are 8 mm long, compressed, and have mericarps that are broad, curved, and 7-9 ridged.

Lateral compression occurs with seeds. This has a distinctive smell, is greyish green in colour, and tastes bittersweet.⁷

PHYTOCHEMISTRY:

Amino acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, essential oils, alkaloids, and other compounds are abundant in Centilla asiatica. The majority of phytochemical research centred on leaves, and the chemical composition varies geographically.

Centilla asiatica's chemical makeup key groups Constituents Leucine, iso-leucine, valine, methioine, tyrosine, proline, cystine, and glycine are among the amino acids, along with amino butyrate, aspartate, glutamate, histidine, lysine, threonine, and arginine. Carbohydrates Mesoinositol, arabinogalactan, centellose, pectin, and glucose are all phenols. Flavonoids.^8,9Quercetin, quercetin-3-o-d-glucuronide, castillicetin, apigenin, rutin, luteolin, and naringin are among the compounds that make up kaempferol.) Chlorogenic acid, 3,4-di-o-caffeoyl quinic acid, 1,5-di-o-caffeoyl quinic acid, 3,5-di-o-caffeoyl quinic acid, 4,5-di-o-caffeoyl quinic acid, and isochlorogenic acid are examples of phenylpropanoids. Other components include the alkaloid hydrocotylin, the bitter compound vallerine, phytosterols such campesterol, sitosterol, and stigmasterol, and resin. 8-acetoxycentellynol, cadiyenol, dotriacont-8-en-1-oic acid, and 11-oxoheneicosanyl cyclohexane are among the several polyacetylenes¹⁰

TRADITIONAL USES:

It is a well-known rasayana medication in Ayurveda and is used as medhyarasayana in conditions including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and cognitive impairment. Additionally, leprosy, skin conditions, anorexia, and asthma can all be treated with it. It has also been used as an antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory in other traditional systems to treat diarrhoea, cholera, measles, jaundice, leukorrhoea, haematemesis, hepatitis, urethritis, toothache, syphilis, smallpox, neuralgia, rheumatism, toothache, and varices. Poultices have been used to treat sprains, fractures with closed ends, andcontusions.andfurunculosis.¹¹

Figure 3: Pharmacological Action of Centella asiatica¹²

PHARMACOLOGICALSTUDIES:

Skin disease:

Wound Healing: Made cassol, a plant extract containing made cassic acid, asiatic acid, and Asiaticoside, has been shown to hasten wound healing and grafting. Asiaticoside accelerates the production of extracellular matrix and fibroblast proliferation during wound healing

Acne: Acne is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects the skin's pilosebaceous cells. Propionibacterium acnes proliferation, abnormal follicular desquamation, increased sebum production, and inflammation are the four primary pathogenic processes that contribute to the onset of acne.¹⁴

Burns: A commercial cream called Cytol Centella was created using a titrated extract of Centella asiatica. By promoting collagen synthesis, topical administration of Cytol Centella® dramatically increased the contraction of burn wounds in male Wistar rats¹⁵.

Atopic Dermatitis: Typically, animal models for AD that have been produced by phthalic anhydride (PA) are used to assess a test substance's potential for treating AD. By reducing the expression of iNOS and COX-2, NF-B activity, and the production of TNF-, IL-1, IL-6, and IgE, titrated extract of C. asiatica (TECA) therapy slowed the progression of PA-induced AD¹⁶.

Cytotoxic and Antitumour:

The growth of solid and ascites tumours was similarly slowed down by oral administration of C. asiatica crude extract and its partially purified components. The methanol extract of the plant included a partly purified component that inhibited the growth of tumour cells without adversely affecting lymphocytes. Ehrlich Ascites tumour cells underwent apoptosis due to C. asiatica, and toxicity caused by chemotherapy drugs showed that the medicine had an anti-cancer effect and decreased myelosuppression. Nitric oxide and tumour necrosis factor are controlled by C. asiatica in murine macrophages. Asiaticoside encourages the formation of collagen to aid in wound healing¹⁷.

Memory Enhancing:

The herb's aqueous extract significantly improved learning and memory while lowering brain levels of norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-HT as well as their metabolites. Brahmicacid, isobrahmic acid, brahminoside, and brahmside are all present in Centella asiatica. It has sedative, anticonvulsant, and psychotropic effects. Additionally, it helps with anxiety, mental illnesses, and dementia. Thus, children with learning disabilities benefit from Mentat, a polyherbal formulation in which all of the herbs work in concert to increase memory, attention, and concentration¹⁸.

Cardioprotective:

In order to reduce ischaemia-reperfusion-induced myocardial infarction in mice, the alcoholic extract of the entire plant shown strong cardio preventive action. In the hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension rat model, asiaticoside decreased mean pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy via blocking the overexpressed TGF-1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway¹⁹.

Radioprotective:

During clinical irradiation, Centella asiatica may be helpful in avoiding radiation-induced behavioural abnormalities²⁰.

Antidepressant:

The serum level of corticosterone was significantly decreased by the whole triterpenes' antidepressant action. Human adipocytes treated with Centella asiatica extracts had a sharp spike in the amount of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which was followed by an increase in the amount of non-esterified fatty acids²¹.

Diabetes mallitus and obesity:

Extracts of C. asiatica show promise in the treatment of endocrine disorders, particularly type 2 diabetes and obesity. Regarding particular substances, asiatic acid proved successful in treating obesity, while made cassoside may be an option for treating osteolytic bone disorders. In human adipocytes, Centella asiatica extracts significantly increased the amount of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which was followed by an increase in the amount of non-esterified fatty acids. Diabetes type 2 (T2DM) is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and a reduced insulin-stimulated response when blood sugar levels are high^22,23^.

Immunomodulating:

Triterpenoids, saponins, and methanol extracts from pectin extracted from Centella asiatica demonstrated preliminary immunomodulatory effects²⁴.

Antiprotozoa:

The entire plant's alcohol extract exhibited antiprotozoal efficacy against Entamoeba histolytica²⁵.

Improve the cognitive function:

Orally administered Centella asiatica pills significantly improved general ability and behavioural patterns in mentally challenged youngsters. Clinical research revealed that C. asiatica significantly enhanced stroke patients' cognitive performance. Patients were separated into 3 groups and given daily doses of 1,000mg, 750mg, and 3mg of folic acid, respectively²⁶.

Neuroprotective effect:

Through several animal testing paradigms, including passive avoidance and elevated-plus labyrinth tests for memory enhancement, the neuroprotective impact of C. asiatica and its main triterpene saponosides has been thoroughly examined. The effects of C. asiatica's aqueous extract on intracerebrovascular streptozocin-induced memory linked to the sporadic type of AD were studied in rats by administering the extract at dosages of 100, 200, and 300mg/kg (b.w.)²⁶. C. asiatica improves the nervous system's performance. It disintegrates in water, ethanol, and methanol. According to pertinent research on the nervous system, C. asiatica and its triterpenes can treat a number of neurological conditions, but Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease are the two that have received the most attention²⁷.

Antitubercular and Antileprotic:

Leprosy and a few forms of tuberculosis have been successfully treated with asiaticoside. Clinical studies carried out on healthy adults revealed that the medicine raised RBC, blood sugar, serum cholesterol, and total protein levels. The rise in mean blood urea concentration. The body is calmed by it, and the central nervous system is supported²⁸.

Effects on Digestive Diseases:

Aside from improving liver fibrosis, colitis, and gastric mucosal damage, C. asiatica and its triterpenoids also have therapeutic effects on digestive problems. These effects even include a decreased colonisation of the stomach with Helicobacter pylori. The current investigation discovered that the C. asiatica extract significantly repaired gastric mucosal injury, decreased H. pylori infection, and effectively mitigated drug-induced liver toxicity²⁹.

Effects on Rheumatoid Arthritis:

The pharmacological investigation on madecassoside showed that it can successfully reduce the linked inflammatory factors (TNF-, IL-1b, IL-6, IFN-, and IL-17) in arthritis model rats. Madecassoside (30mg/kg) taken orally has been shown in animal studies to considerably lessen the signs and symptoms of arthritis and to stop the release of inflammatory cytokines²⁹.

Anabolic effect:

Albino rats were fed a low-protein diet, and centella reduced the mortality caused by a severe protein deficit. It increased the level of blood protein nitrogen and blocked the entry of fatty acids into the liver. A statistically significant and substantial increase in haemoglobin content was observed. The typical blood urea level was decreased³⁰.

SAFETY AND TOXICITY OF C. ASIATICA:

Regarding the safety of C. asiatica extract, clinical investigations have demonstrated that oral dosages of 250 mg and 500 mg of the standard extract were both well tolerated and effective. Modern pharmacological studies revealed that the extract's heavy metal level is within acceptable limits and that there is little chance that the biologically active chemicals in C. asiatica will interact with CYP isoenzymes ³¹.

C. asiatica extract has been shown in animal studies to have anti-spermogenic and anti-fertility effects on the male rat reproductive system. C. asiatica extract is safe for rats, according to haematological parameters and histopathology in acute oral toxicity studies, sub-chronic toxicity studies, and mutagenicity studies. Additionally, in the Ames test, C. asiatica extract showed no dose-related negative effects³².

CONCLUSION:

Since it has been established that plants are a remarkable source of medicine, interest in studying medicinal plants has recently increased. Centella asiatica is well known for its traditional uses and medicinal properties in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses having effective chemical present in Centella asitica. The active components in Centella asiatica can be used to treat conditions like epilepsy, ageing, neurodegenerative illnesses, skin issues, and diabetes, Cardiac disorders, Respiratory disorder etc. The herb is important in the practise of Ayurvedic medicine.

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Received on 09.02.2023 Modified on 05.03.2023

Res. J. Pharmacognosy and Phytochem. 2023; 15(3):235-240.

DOI: 10.52711/0975-4385.2023.00037