Herb reference
Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.
Crystalis is a reference resource for herbal, crystal, and somatic practice.
This library is designed to help readers orient, compare, and research. It is not a substitute for medical care or practitioner judgment.
Botanical / meta
A low-growing, perennial aquatic or semi-aquatic creeping herb with slender green stems that root at the nodes. Small, kidney-shaped to nearly round leaves (1–5 cm diameter) are borne on long petioles, often with crenate margins. Tiny pinkish to reddish flowers emerge in small umbels close to the ground. Prefers moist, marshy habitats.
Gotu kola contains triterpenoid saponins as its primary bioactive constituents, principally asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid (collectively known as centellosides). Other constituents include flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol), volatile oils, amino acids, and B-vitamins. The triterpenes have been extensively studied for their effects on collagen synthesis, wound healing, and venous tone.
The practical read
Gotu kola contains triterpenoid saponins as its primary bioactive constituents, principally asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid (collectively known as centellosides). Other constituents include flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol), volatile oils, amino acids, and B-vitamins. The triterpenes have been extensively studied for their effects on collagen synthesis, wound healing, and venous tone.
Route panel
Evidence and safety may differ by preparation. Essential oil, tea, tincture, extract, infused oil, and topical use are not interchangeable.
Quality
Requires consistently moist or wet soil; thrives in bog gardens, pond edges, or containers with standing water. Prefers partial shade in hot climates, full shade in tropical regions. Propagates readily from cuttings that root at nodes. Can become invasive in ideal conditions. Harvest leaves regularly to encourage bushy growth. Frost-sensitive; treat as annual in temperate zones.
Available as dried herb, powder, capsules, liquid extract, standardized extract (typically 40% asiaticoside), and topical preparations. Fresh leaves are eaten as a vegetable in Sri Lankan cuisine (gotu kola sambol). Quality markers include triterpene content (total asiaticoside/madecassoside), typically standardized to 40% total triterpenes. Look for products with third-party testing for heavy metals (often bioaccumulates from wetland habitats).
Companion
Crystal side
The deeper layer
Clinical and compound notes are included as a research layer, not as treatment instructions.
Contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to insufficient safety data and historical emmenagogue use. May cause hepatotoxicity at high doses or with prolonged use — avoid in individuals with liver disease and limit duration of use. May cause gastrointestinal upset, headache, dizziness, and skin allergic reactions. May interact with sedative medications and CNS depressants. May lower blood glucose — use caution with diabetes medications. Theoretically may interfere with cholesterol-lowering medications. Discontinue use at least 2 weeks before surgery. Contains asiaticoside which may have photosensitizing effects — use sun protection if applied topically.
Questions
Gotu kola is contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to insufficient safety data and historical emmenagogue use. The most serious concern is hepatotoxicity: cases have been reported with high doses or prolonged use, so it should be avoided in anyone with liver disease and limited to defined courses rather than taken indefinitely. Its triterpene saponins can produce additive sedation with CNS depressants and may lower blood glucose, requiring caution alongside diabetes medications. It may also theoretically interfere with cholesterol-lowering drugs, and topical application carries a photosensitizing risk from asiaticoside. Discontinue use at least two weeks before surgery.
Gotu kola is taken as fresh or dried leaf in tea, as a tincture, as standardized extract, and topically in creams for wound healing and venous tone. Standardized products are typically calibrated to total triterpenic fraction (asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid, collectively the centellosides). Because hepatotoxicity has been linked to prolonged or high-dose intake, practitioners generally use it in cycles of a few weeks rather than as a continuous daily tonic. The leaf is mild and slightly bitter, and tea is a common low-dose delivery route. Topical centelloside preparations are used for collagen synthesis support in scar and wound contexts.
Quality gotu kola is identified by its fan-shaped, kidney-rounded leaves and a fresh, mildly bitter green character rather than a hay-like staleness. The therapeutic value tracks the centelloside content (asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid), so standardized extracts specifying total triterpene percentage are more reliable than generic powder. Look for material that retains green color; heavy browning suggests degradation of the flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol) and volatile oils that accompany the triterpenes. Because the plant grows in wet, often marshy ground, sourcing matters for contaminant load.
Gotu kola is distinctive because its action is driven by triterpenoid saponins (centellosides) that have been specifically studied for collagen synthesis, wound healing, and venous tone, rather than by the tannins or flavonoids that dominate many vulnerary herbs. This makes it a connective-tissue and microcirculation herb, often used for scars, striae, and venous insufficiency rather than acute bleeding. It is frequently confused with brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), and the two are sometimes both called brahmi in Ayurveda despite being unrelated plants with different bioactives. Its hepatotoxicity signal also sets it apart from gentler vulneraries like calendula.
Dried gotu kola leaf retains potency for roughly 1-2 years in airtight, light-protected containers away from heat and moisture. The triterpene saponins are reasonably stable, but the accompanying flavonoids and volatile oils degrade with light and air exposure, so opaque packaging is preferable. Standardized extracts in capsule form generally hold labeled centelloside content longer than loose-cut leaf. Tinctures in adequate alcohol concentration remain viable for several years. Discard material that has faded to brown or lost its characteristic mild bitterness.
Sources & Citations
Peer-reviewed sources for the pharmacological and clinical claims on this page. Crystalis herb entries describe tradition and current research; they are reference, not medical advice.
SCI
Resource framing
Crystalis is a reference resource for herbal, crystal, and somatic practice.
This library is designed to help readers orient, compare, and research. It is not a substitute for medical care or practitioner judgment.
Clinical and compound notes are included as a research layer, not as treatment instructions.
Evidence and safety may differ by preparation. Essential oil, tea, tincture, extract, infused oil, and topical use are not interchangeable.