This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition.
This herb is NOT recommended during pregnancy due to potential risks to the developing fetus.
This herb is NOT recommended while breastfeeding as effects on infants are unknown.
Consult your healthcare provider before use.
2 Known Drug Interactions — Some May Be Serious
2 Moderate
This herb may interact with medications you are taking. Review the interactions table below and consult your healthcare provider before use.
What is a herb–drug interaction?
A herb–drug interaction happens when a plant or supplement changes how a medication works in your body — making it stronger, weaker, or more likely to cause harm. Herbs contain active compounds that can speed up or slow down the enzymes and transporters your body uses to process drugs.
Why it matters
•St. John's Wort can make birth control, antidepressants, and blood thinners less effective.
•Garlic can increase bleeding risk with warfarin and other blood thinners (also ginkgo, ginger, and turmeric).
•Kava can amplify sedation when taken with anxiety or sleep medications (also valerian).
The risk is highest for older adults, anyone taking several medications, and people with chronic conditions.
Always tell your doctor and pharmacist about every herb and supplement you take — and check below before combining.
Gotu kola may enhance sedative effects of CNS depressant medications.
This list reflects a curated subset of documented interactions and is not exhaustive. The absence of a drug here is not proof that it is safe to combine. Always confirm with a pharmacist or healthcare provider.
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) is known in English as Indian Pennywort, Brahmi (Ayurvedic), Asiatic Pennywort. It is traditionally used for memory enhancement, wound healing, longevity tonic.
Is Gotu Kola safe during pregnancy?
Gotu Kola is not recommended during pregnancy. Consult your healthcare provider for alternatives.
Does Gotu Kola interact with medications?
Yes, Gotu Kola has 2 known drug interactions. Avoid use during pregnancy and lactation due to potential uterine stimulation and lack of safety data.. May cause mild gastrointestinal upset, nausea, headache, or drowsiness; reduce dose if these occur.. Rare cases of liver toxicity have been reported with long-term high-dose use; caution in patients with liver disease or on hepatotoxic medications.. Discontinue at least 2 weeks before scheduled surgery due to possible sedative effects and interaction with anesthetics.
What are the side effects of Gotu Kola?
Avoid use during pregnancy and lactation due to potential uterine stimulation and lack of safety data.. May cause mild gastrointestinal upset, nausea, headache, or drowsiness; reduce dose if these occur.. Rare cases of liver toxicity have been reported with long-term high-dose use; caution in patients with liver disease or on hepatotoxic medications.. Discontinue at least 2 weeks before scheduled surgery due to possible sedative effects and interaction with anesthetics.
How do I calculate a safe dose of Gotu Kola?
Use HerbAlly's free herbal dosage calculator — enter the adult reference dose for Gotu Kola, plus age and weight, to get a Clark's / Young's rule pediatric estimate. Never exceed the adult dose.
PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 29 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Centella asiatica, commonly known as Gotu Kola, is a medicinal herbaceous plant used in traditional medicine for its wound-healing, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties [PMID:39978422, PMID:38718155].
Background
Centella asiatica (Apiaceae) is a flowering perennial plant native to tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast Asia, China, India, and Africa [PMID:36756687, PMID:36837896, PMID:38718155]. It is utilized as a food source, a nutraceutical, and in various clinical and cosmetic treatments [PMID:36756687, PMID:38718155].
Traditional uses
It has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine to boost memory, prevent cognitive deficits, and improve brain functions [PMID:36756687]. In Asiatic traditional medicine, it has been used to treat skin diseases such as leprosy, lupus, varicose ulcers, eczema, and psoriasis [PMID:36837896].
Active compounds
The primary active compounds are pentacyclic triterpenes, specifically the glycosides asiaticoside and madecassoside, and their aglycones, asiatic acid and madecassic acid [PMID:24399761, PMID:24278045, PMID:36756687]. Other constituents include flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenic steroids, amino acids, sugars, and vitamins B and C [PMID:27168678, PMID:26602573].
Mechanism of action
In skin health, it promotes fibroblast proliferation, increases collagen and intracellular fibronectin synthesis, and improves the tensile strength of new skin [PMID:24278045, PMID:36837896]. It also modulates inflammation by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-α [PMID:32033291, PMID:41089830]. In neurological contexts, it may up-regulate hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its signaling pathways [PMID:31998466].
Clinical evidence
Evidence AWound Healing
C. asiatica may enhance wound healing, including diabetic ulcers and burns, by improving angiogenesis and stimulating collagen I and fibronectin [PMID:35328954, PMID:39458583, PMID:41089830].
Effective in improving the treatment of small wounds, hypertrophic wounds, burns, psoriasis, and scleroderma [PMID:24278045].
Evidence BAnxiety
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated its anxiolytic activity on acoustic startle response in healthy subjects [PMID:11106141].
Evidence DAtopic Dermatitis
Ethanol extract inhibited IL-6 and TNF-α expression in HaCaT cells and decreased mast cell infiltration in DNCB-induced mouse models [PMID:32033291].
Safety & adverse effects
Generally regarded as safe, though it has been linked to rare instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury with jaundice [PMID:38718155]. Various C. asiatica-derived cosmetic ingredients are considered safe in current practices of use and concentration when formulated to be non-sensitizing [PMID:36812692].
Evidence summary
There is strong systematic evidence (Level A) supporting its use in wound healing. Evidence for other dermatological and neurological applications is primarily based on reviews (Level C) and animal or in vitro studies (Level D), with limited human clinical trials (Level B).
PubMed sources
1.PMID: 24399761 (2014) — Centella asiatica in dermatology: an overview. · Phytotherapy research : PTR
2.PMID: 24278045 (2013) — Centella asiatica in cosmetology. · Postepy dermatologii i alergologii
3.PMID: 36756687 (2023) — Therapeutic properties and pharmacological activities of asiaticoside and madecassoside: A review. · Journal of cellular and molecular medicine
4.PMID: 38718155 (2012) — Pharmacological Effects of Centella asiatica on Skin Diseases: Evidence and Possible Mechanisms. · CITED REFERENCES
5.PMID: 36837896 (2023) — Centella asiatica and Its Metabolite Asiatic Acid: Wound Healing Effects and Therapeutic Potential. · Metabolites
Government sources
No direct government monograph is available for this herb. The content below is AI-generated and has not been verified against an authoritative government source. Use the search links to check official sources before relying on this information.
PMID: 36987052 (2023) — Nootropic Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees as Potential Cognitive Enhancers. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
7.PMID: 32033291 (2020) — Inhibitory Effect of Centella asiatica Extract on DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in HaCaT Cells and BALB/c Mice. · Nutrients
8.PMID: 39458583 (2024) — Topical Application of Centella asiatica in Wound Healing: Recent Insights into Mechanisms and Clinical Efficacy. · Pharmaceutics
9.PMID: 35328954 (2022) — A Systematic Review of the Effect of Centella asiatica on Wound Healing. · International journal of environmental research and public health
10.PMID: 27168678 (2016) — Moisturizing and Antiinflammatory Properties of Cosmetic Formulations Containing Centella asiatica Extract. · Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences
11.PMID: 26602573 (2015) — Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica): Nutritional Properties and Plausible Health Benefits. · Advances in food and nutrition research
12.PMID: 33013406 (2020) — Therapeutic Potential of Centella asiatica and Its Triterpenes: A Review. · Frontiers in pharmacology
13.PMID: 36615505 (2022) — Effect of Acidic Electrolysed Water and Pulsed Light Technology on the Sensory, Morphology and Bioactive Compounds of Pennywort (Centella asiatica L.) Leaves. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
14.PMID: 34592625 (2022) — Ultrasound assisted extraction and quantification of targeted bioactive compounds of Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) by UHPLC-MS/MS MRM tandem mass spectroscopy. · Food chemistry
15.PMID: 38610995 (2024) — Can Asiatic Acid from Centella asiatica Be a Potential Remedy in Cancer Therapy?-A Review. · Cancers
16.PMID: 36365380 (2022) — Biotechnological Intervention and Secondary Metabolite Production in Centella asiatica L. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
17.PMID: 39978422 (2025) — Biosynthesis and bioactivities of triterpenoids from Centella asiatica: Challenges and opportunities. · Biotechnology advances
18.PMID: 36812692 (2023) — Safety Assessment of Centella asiatica-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. · International journal of toxicology
19.PMID: 31998466 (2019) — Centella asiatica (Gotu kola) ethanol extract up-regulates hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling in chronic electrical stress model in rats. · Iranian journal of basic medical sciences
20.PMID: 11106141 (2000) — A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) on acoustic startle response in healthy subjects. · Journal of clinical psychopharmacology
21.PMID: 39108365 (2024) — Centella asiatica effect on traumatic brain injury: A systematic review. · Surgical neurology international
22.PMID: 41089830 (2025) — Centella asiatica enhances diabetic wound healing by decreasing macrophage-driven inflammation via the AKT/MAPK/NF-κB pathway. · Frontiers in pharmacology
23.PMID: 25562200 (2015) — E-microsatellite markers for Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) genome: validation and cross-transferability in Apiaceae family for plant omics research and development. · Omics : a journal of integrative biology
24.PMID: 40001970 (2025) — Protective Effects of Centella asiatica Against Senescence and Apoptosis in Epidermal Cells. · Biology