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Also known as Gotu kola, centella comes from the Centella asiatica plant. According to legend, elephants use this plant as a food source and owe their longevity to its age-defying properties. (Scientists would likely claim that the elephants' lifespan falls as expected on the curve relating size, metabolic oxygen utilization, and lifespan in various species.). Sometimes called Indian Pennywort, Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) is native to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and many of the Southeast Asian Islands. The chemical composition of gotu kola is quite extensive including saponins, volatile oils, sugars, fatty acids, amino acids, flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins and carotenoids. The saponin components like asiaticoside and others, are thought to be the most active components. Gotu kola has antiinflammatory, anti-convulsant, antidepressant and analgesic properties. Wound and scar healing seems to be one of gotu kola's unique properties both topically and orally. The triterpenic fraction of Gotu Kola extracts is able to inhibit some of the lysosomal enzymes thought to participate in the etiology of varicose veins and venous insufficiencies. Other factors attributed to Gotu kola is its ability to enhance connective tissue, increasing the tone of vessels, tendons, and ligaments. This activity has been confirmed in several clinical trials, in which edema, pain, decreased capillary permeability, and microcirculation were all improved significantly without adverse effects. The use of this herb is becoming more frequent for a number of connective tissue, vascular, and wound healing protocols.
The safe use of this herb and its extracts has been confirmed by many studies.
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