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Review
. 2020 Sep 4:11:568032.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.568032. eCollection 2020.

Therapeutic Potential of Centella asiatica and Its Triterpenes: A Review

Boju Sun  1 , Lili Wu  2 , You Wu  1 , Chengfei Zhang  1 , Lingling Qin  3 , Misa Hayashi  4 , Maya Kudo  4 , Ming Gao  4 , Tonghua Liu  1
Affiliations
Review

Therapeutic Potential of Centella asiatica and Its Triterpenes: A Review

Boju Sun et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Centella asiatica (also known as Centella asiatica (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 C. asiatica 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 C. asiatica 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.

Keywords: Centella asiatica; anti-apoptosis; anti-inflammatory; anti-oxidative stress; triterpenoids.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Molecular formulas of several main compounds of Centella asiatica.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow Diagram.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Therapeutic potential and mechanisms of action of C. asiatica and its triterpenes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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