Therapeutic Potential of and Its Triterpenes: A Review

Overview

Journal Front Pharmacol

Date 2020 Oct 5

PMID 33013406

Citations 64

Authors

Boju Sun

Lili Wu

You Wu

Chengfei Zhang

Lingling Qin

Misa Hayashi

Maya Kudo

Ming Gao

Tonghua Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

(also known as (L.) Urb. or Gotu kola) is a traditional Chinese medicine with extensive medicinal value, which is commonly used in Southeast Asian countries. This study aimed to summarize the effects of and its main components on neurological diseases, endocrine diseases, skin diseases, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, immune diseases, and gynecological diseases, as well as potential molecular mechanisms, to study the pathological mechanism of these diseases based on the changes at the molecular level. The results showed that and its triterpenoids had extensive beneficial effects on neurological and skin diseases, which were confirmed through clinical studies. They exhibited anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptotic effects, and improvement in mitochondrial function. However, further clinical studies are urgently required due to the low level of evidence and lack of patients.

Citing Articles

Protective Effects of Against Senescence and Apoptosis in Epidermal Cells.

Tan Y, Hu A, Lu J, Lin Y, Li X, Yamaguchi T Biology (Basel). 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 40001970 PMC: 11851956. DOI: 10.3390/biology14020202.

Promotion of chronic wound healing by plant-derived active ingredients and research progress and potential of plant polysaccharide hydrogels.

Yan R, Wang Y, Li W, Sun J Chin Herb Med. 2025; 17(1):70-83.

PMID: 39949811 PMC: 11814255. DOI: 10.1016/j.chmed.2024.11.005.

A comprehensive review of medicinal plants and their beneficial roles in alleviating bisphenol A-induced organ toxicity.

Dolatabadi S, Oskuei S, Mehri S, Hosseinzadeh H Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2025; .

PMID: 39932506 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-025-03795-8.

Multi-Omics Analysis in Mouse Primary Cortical Neurons Reveals Complex Positive and Negative Biological Interactions Between Constituent Compounds of .

Chamberlin S, Zweig J, Neff C, Marney L, Choi J, Yang L Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025; 18(1).

PMID: 39861082 PMC: 11768890. DOI: 10.3390/ph18010019.

Peripheral Blood DNA Methylation Changes in Response to Treatment in Aged Mice.

Monestime O, Davis B, Layman C, Wheeler K, Hack W, Zweig J Biology (Basel). 2025; 14(1.

PMID: 39857283 PMC: 11762129. DOI: 10.3390/biology14010052.

References

Gray N, Harris C, Quinn J, Soumyanath A . Centella asiatica modulates antioxidant and mitochondrial pathways and improves cognitive function in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016; 180:78-86. PMC: 4764102. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.01.013. View

Matuszkiewicz-Rowinska J, Wieliczko M . [Renovascular hypertension]. Wiad Lek. 2016; 68(4 Pt 2):623-5. View

Avena-Woods C . Overview of atopic dermatitis. Am J Manag Care. 2017; 23(8 Suppl):S115-S123. View

Lu Y, Liu S, Wang Y, Wang D, Gao J, Zhu L . Asiatic acid uncouples respiration in isolated mouse liver mitochondria and induces HepG2 cells death. Eur J Pharmacol. 2016; 786:212-223. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.06.010. View

Saltiel A, Olefsky J . Inflammatory mechanisms linking obesity and metabolic disease. J Clin Invest. 2017; 127(1):1-4. PMC: 5199709. DOI: 10.1172/JCI92035. View

Anastasiadi Z, Lianos G, Ignatiadou E, Harissis H, Mitsis M . Breast cancer in young women: an overview. Updates Surg. 2017; 69(3):313-317. DOI: 10.1007/s13304-017-0424-1. View

Yao C, Yeh J, Chen Y, Li M, Huang C . Wound-healing effect of electrospun gelatin nanofibres containing Centella asiatica extract in a rat model. J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2015; 11(3):905-915. DOI: 10.1002/term.1992. View

Wang X, Cai X, Wang W, Jin Y, Chen M, Huang X . Effect of asiaticoside on endothelial cells in hypoxia‑induced pulmonary hypertension. Mol Med Rep. 2017; 17(2):2893-2900. PMC: 5783505. DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.8254. View

Wang Z, Chesler N . Pulmonary vascular mechanics: important contributors to the increased right ventricular afterload of pulmonary hypertension. Exp Physiol. 2013; 98(8):1267-73. PMC: 3720829. DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2012.069096. View

10.

Camacho-Alonso F, Torralba-Ruiz M, Garcia-Carrillo N, Lacal-Lujan J, Martinez-Diaz F, Sanchez-Siles M . Effects of topical applications of porcine acellular urinary bladder matrix and Centella asiatica extract on oral wound healing in a rat model. Clin Oral Investig. 2018; 23(5):2083-2095. DOI: 10.1007/s00784-018-2620-x. View

11.

Subaraja M, Vanisree A . The novel phytocomponent asiaticoside-D isolated from Centella asiatica exhibits monoamine oxidase-B inhibiting potential in the rotenone degenerated cerebral ganglions of Lumbricus terrestris. Phytomedicine. 2019; 58:152833. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2019.152833. View

12.

Kamble S, Patil C . Asiatic Acid Ameliorates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac and Hepato-Renal Toxicities with Nrf2 Transcriptional Factor Activation in Rats. Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2017; 18(2):131-141. DOI: 10.1007/s12012-017-9424-0. View

13.

Rabe K, Watz H . Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lancet. 2017; 389(10082):1931-1940. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31222-9. View

14.

Suetomi T, Willeford A, Brand C, Cho Y, Ross R, Miyamoto S . Inflammation and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation Initiated in Response to Pressure Overload by Ca/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II δ Signaling in Cardiomyocytes Are Essential for Adverse Cardiac Remodeling. Circulation. 2018; 138(22):2530-2544. PMC: 6309790. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.034621. View

15.

Ar Rochmah M, Harini I, Septyaningtrias D, Sari D, Susilowati R . Prevents Increase of Hippocampal Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Independently of Its Effect on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Rat Model of Chronic Stress. Biomed Res Int. 2019; 2019:2649281. PMC: 6431365. DOI: 10.1155/2019/2649281. View

16.

Taira T, Broussard N, Bugg C . Pelvic inflammatory disease: diagnosis and treatment in the emergency department. Emerg Med Pract. 2022; 24(12):1-24. View

17.

Masola B, Oguntibeju O, Oyenihi A . Centella asiatica ameliorates diabetes-induced stress in rat tissues via influences on antioxidants and inflammatory cytokines. Biomed Pharmacother. 2018; 101:447-457. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.02.115. View

18.

Fong L, Ng C, Cheok Z, Mohd Moklas M, Hakim M, Ahmad Z . Barrier protective effect of asiatic acid in TNF-α-induced activation of human aortic endothelial cells. Phytomedicine. 2016; 23(2):191-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2015.11.019. View

19.

De Sanctis M, Belcaro G, Incandela L, Cesarone M, Griffin M, Ippolito E . Treatment of edema and increased capillary filtration in venous hypertension with total triterpenic fraction of Centella asiatica: a clinical, prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized, dose-ranging trial. Angiology. 2001; 52 Suppl 2:S55-9. View

20.

Mohd Yusuf Yeo N, Muthuraju S, Wong J, Mohammed F, Senik M, Zhang J . Hippocampal amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid GluA1 (AMPA GluA1) receptor subunit involves in learning and memory improvement following treatment with Centella asiatica extract in adolescent rats. Brain Behav. 2018; 8(9):e01093. PMC: 6160644. DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1093. View