Centella asiatica

Last updated

Centella asiatica
Centella asiatica (thaankuni) (3).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Centella
Species:
C. asiatica
Binomial name
Centella asiatica
Synonyms [2]

Hydrocotyle asiatica L.
Trisanthus cochinchinensis Lour.

Contents

Centella asiatica, commonly known as Indian pennywort, Asiatic pennywort, spadeleaf, coinwort or gotu kola, [3] is a herbaceous, perennial plant in the flowering plant family Apiaceae. [2] It is native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and islands in the western Pacific Ocean. [2] [4] [5] [6] It is consumed as a culinary vegetable and is used in traditional medicine. [2]

Description

Centella grows in temperate and tropical swampy areas in many regions of the world. [2] The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish-green in color, connecting plants to each other. [2] It has long-stalked, green, rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. [2] The leaves are borne on pericladial petioles,[ clarification needed ] around 2 cm (0.79 in). The rootstock consists of rhizomes, growing vertically down. They are cream in color and covered with root hairs. [2]

The flowers are white or crimson in color, born in small, rounded bunches (umbels) near the surface of the soil. [2] Each flower is partly enclosed in two green bracts. The hermaphrodite flowers are minute in size, less than 3 mm (0.12 in), with five to six corolla lobes per flower. Each flower bears five stamens and two styles. The fruit are densely reticulate, distinguishing it from species of Hydrocotyle which have smooth, ribbed or warty fruit. [6] The crop matures in three months, and the whole plant, including the roots, is harvested manually. It is a highly invasive plant, rated as "high risk". [2] Centella has numerous common names in its regions of distribution. [2]

Triterpene compounds of Centella asiatica Triterpenes from Centella asiatica.svg
Triterpene compounds of Centella asiatica

Ecology

Centella asiatica is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia, parts of Australia, and wetland regions of the Southeastern US. [7] [8] Because the plant is aquatic, it is especially sensitive to biological and chemical pollutants in the water, which may be absorbed into the plant. It can be cultivated in drier soils, including sandy loam,[ citation needed ] as long as they are watered regularly enough (such as in a home garden arrangement). [9]

Composition

Centella contains pentacyclic triterpenoids and trisaccharide derivatives, including asiaticoside, brahmoside, asiatic acid, and brahmic acid (madecassic acid). Other constituents include centellose, centelloside, and madecassoside. [10] [11] [12] Approximately 124 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from Centella asiatica. [13] Long term use on the skin can cause severe health problems including: skin irritation, intoxicated blood, red eyes and problems with the lymph nodes.

Uses

Culinary

In Burmese cuisine, raw pennywort is used as the main constituent in a salad mixed with onions, crushed peanuts, bean powder and seasoned with lime juice and fish sauce. [14] Centella is used as a leafy green in Sri Lankan cuisine, being the predominantly locally available leafy green, where it is called gotu kola or vallaarai. It is most often prepared as malluma, a traditional accompaniment to rice and vegetarian dishes, such as dal , and jackfruit or pumpkin curry. It is considered nutritious. In addition to finely chopped gotu kola plants, the gotu kola malluma may be eaten with grated coconut, diced shallots, lime (or lemon) juice, and sea salt. Additional ingredients are finely chopped green chilis, chili powder, turmeric powder, or chopped carrots. The Centella fruit-bearing structures are discarded from the gotu kola malluma due to their intense bitter taste. A variation of porridge known as kola kanda is also made with gotu kola in Sri Lanka. Gotu kola kanda or Vallaarai kanji is made with well-boiled red rice with some extra liquid, coconut milk first extract, and gotu kola purée. The porridge is accompanied with jaggery for sweetness. Centella leaves are also used in modern sweet pennywort drinks and herbal teas. In addition the leaves are served stir-fried whole in coconut oil, or cooked in coconut milk with garlic or dhal.

Bai bua bok as a beverage, Thailand Nam bai bua bok.JPG
Bai bua bok as a beverage, Thailand

In Indonesia, the leaves are used for sambai oi peuga-ga, an Aceh type of salad, and is also mixed into asinan in Bogor. In Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, this leaf is used for preparing a drink or can be eaten in raw form in salads or cold rolls. In Bangkok, vendors in the Chatuchak Weekend Market sell it alongside coconut, roselle, chrysanthemum, orange and other health drinks. In Malay cuisine it is known as pegaga, and the leaves of this plant are used for ulam, a type of vegetable salad. [2] C. asiatica is widely used in various Indian regional cuisines. In Bangladesh and India (specifically in West Bengal), Centella is called Thankuni Pata and used in various dishes, one of the most appetising of which is the pakora-like snack called Thankuni Patar Bora; made of mashed Centella, lentils, julienned onion and green chilli.

Traditional medicine

In traditional medicine, C. asiatica has been used to treat various disorders, dermatological conditions, [15] and minor wounds, [2] although clinical efficacy and safety have not been scientifically confirmed. [16] Contact dermatitis and skin irritation can result from topical application. [16] Drowsiness may occur after consuming it. [16] Three cases of adverse effects on liver function have been reported on Drugs.com with C. asiatica administration for 20 to 60 days. [16]

Telomerase activation

C. asiatica has been shown to activate telomerase more than any other known compound yet discovered: 8.8-fold. This exceeds the activation by other known telomerase activators: oleanolic acid  5.9-fold, Astragalus extract 4.3-fold, TA-65  2.2-fold, and maslinic acid  2-fold. [17]

Agricultural use

In the context of phytoremediation, C. asiatica is a potential phytoextraction tool owing to its ability to take up and translocate metals from root to shoot when grown in soils contaminated by heavy metals. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dill</span> Species of flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae

Dill is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is native to North Africa, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula; it is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thai cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Thailand

Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand.

<i>Momordica charantia</i> Bitter melon, tropical & subtropical

Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scallion</span> Edible vegetable of various species in the genus Allium

Scallions are edible vegetables of various species in the genus Allium. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chives, and Chinese onions.

<i>Allium ursinum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Allium ursinum, known as wild garlic, ramsons, cowleekes, cows's leek, cowleek, buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, Eurasian wild garlic or bear's garlic, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia, where it grows in moist woodland. It is a wild relative of onion and garlic, all belonging to the same genus, Allium. There are two recognized subspecies: A. ursinum subsp. ursinum and A. ursinum subsp. ucrainicum.

<i>Umbilicus rupestris</i> Species of succulent

Umbilicus rupestris, the navelwort, penny-pies or wall pennywort, is a fleshy, perennial, edible flowering plant in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae in the genus Umbilicus so named for its umbilicate (navel-like) leaves.

<i>Averrhoa bilimbi</i> Species of tree

Averrhoa bilimbi is a fruit-bearing tree of the genus Averrhoa, family Oxalidaceae. It is believed to be originally native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia but has naturalized and is common throughout Southeast Asia. It is cultivated in parts of tropical South Asia and the Americas. It bears edible extremely sour fruits. It is a close relative of the carambola tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assamese cuisine</span> Cuisine of Assam, India

Assamese cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Assam. It is a style of cooking that is a confluence of cooking habits of the hills that favour fermentation and drying as forms of preservation and those from the plains that provide extremely wide variety of fresh vegetables and greens, and an abundance of fish and meat. Both are centred on the main ingredient — rice. It is a mixture of different indigenous styles with considerable regional variations and some external influences. The traditional way of cooking and the cuisine of Assam is very similar to South-East Asian countries such as Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and others. The cuisine is characterized by very little use of spices, little cooking over fire, and strong flavours due mainly to the use of endemic exotic fruits and vegetables that are either fresh, dried or fermented. Fish is widely used, and birds like duck, pigeon, squab, etc. are very popular, which are often paired with a main vegetable or ingredient; beef used to be eaten before British colonialism, and some continue to do so. Preparations are rarely elaborate. The practice of bhuna, the gentle frying of spices before the addition of the main ingredients so common in Indian cooking, is absent in the cuisine of Assam. The preferred oil for cooking is the pungent mustard oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvadoran cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of El Salvador

Salvadoran cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The indigenous foods consist of a mix of Amerindian cuisine from groups such as the Lenca, Pipil, Maya Poqomam, Maya Chʼortiʼ, Alaguilac and Cacaopera peoples. Many of the dishes are made with maize (corn). There is also heavy use of pork and seafood. European ingredients were incorporated after the Spanish conquest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peranakan cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Straits Chinese people

Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia, inter-marrying with local Malays. In Baba Malay, a female Peranakan is known as a nonya, and a male Peranakan is known as a baba. The cuisine combines Chinese, Malay, Javanese, South Indian, and other influences.

<i>Pandanus amaryllifolius</i> Tropical plant in the screwpine genus

Pandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the Pandanus (screwpine) genus, which is commonly known as pandan. It has fragrant leaves which are used widely for flavouring in the cuisines of Southeast Asia. It is also featured in some South Asian cuisines and in Hainanese cuisine from China.

<i>Perilla frutescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Perilla frutescens, also called deulkkae or Korean perilla, is a species of Perilla in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is an annual plant native to Southeast Asia and Indian highlands, and is traditionally grown in the Korean peninsula, southern China, Japan and India as a crop.

<i>Codonopsis lanceolata</i> Species of flowering plant

Codonopsis lanceolata, also called deodeok (더덕), todok, or lance asiabell, is a flowering plant native to East Asia. It is a variety of bonnet bellflower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulam (salad)</span> Traditional Malay salad

Ulam is a traditional salad produced from the fresh leaves, vegetables or fruits which can be eaten raw or after soaked in hot water e.g. Centella asiatica. It is typically eaten with sauces such as anchovies, cincalok or sambal. It is recognised as a popular vegetable dish in traditional villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasi ulam</span> Indonesian rice dish

Nasi ulam is a traditional Indonesian dish of steamed rice (nasi) served with various herbs and vegetables (ulam).

<i>Khanom chin</i> Thai rice noodles

Khanom chin or Khanom jeen are fresh, thin rice noodles in Thai cuisine which are made from rice sometimes fermented for three days, boiled, and then made into noodles by extruding the resulting dough through a sieve into boiling water. Khanom chin is served in many kinds of stock: coconut milk, fish curry, and chilli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasi kerabu</span> Malaysian rice dish

Nasi kerabu is a Malaysian rice dish, a type of nasi ulam, in which blue-colored rice is eaten with dried fish or fried chicken, crackers, pickles and other salads. The blue color of the rice comes from the petals of Clitoria ternatea (butterfly-pea) flowers (bunga telang), which are used as a natural food coloring in cooking it. The rice can also be plain white rice or rice cooked using turmeric. It is often eaten with solok lada and is also eaten with fried keropok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burmese salads</span>

Burmese salads are a diverse category of indigenous salads in Burmese cuisine. Burmese salads are made of cooked and raw ingredients that are mixed by hand to combine and balance a wide-ranging array of flavors and textures. Burmese salads are eaten as standalone snacks, as side dishes paired with Burmese curries, and as entrees. The iconic laphet thoke is traditionally eaten as a palate cleanser at the end of a meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thai salads</span> Thai cuisine

Salads that are internationally known as Thai salads with a few exceptions fall into four main preparation methods. In Thai cuisine these are called yam, tam, lap and phla. A few other dishes can also be regarded as being a salad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallung</span> Sri Lankan vegetable condiment or salad

Mallung or mallum, is a shredded vegetable Sri Lankan dish that comprises lightly cooked/sautéed greens, with fresh coconut and any number of spices and chili. Mallung is a common condiment and is eaten at almost every meal. Meals are often served with one or two different mallungs, which play an important part in nutrition as this is how locals maintain a regular vitamin intake in their diet. The word 'mallung' or 'mallum' simply means 'wilted'.

References

  1. Lansdown, R.V. (2019). "Centella asiatica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T168725A88308182. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T168725A88308182.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Centella asiatica (Asiatic pennywort)". Invasive Species Compendium, CABI. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 23 July 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. "Centella asiatica". European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  4. "Centella asiatica (L.) Urb". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  5. United States Department of Agriculture. "Plant Profile for Centella asiatica" . Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  6. 1 2 Floridata. "Centella asiatica" . Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  7. "Centella asiatica". Alabama Plant Atlas. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  8. "Centella asiatica". Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  9. Singh, Rambir; Kharsyntiew, Balasiewdor; Sharma, Poonam; Sahoo, Uttam Kumar; Sarangi, Prakash Kumar; Prus, Piotr; Imbrea, Florin (2023-07-28). "The Effect of Production and Post-Harvest Processing Practices on Quality Attributes in Centella asiatica (L.) Urban—A Review". Agronomy. 13 (8): 1999. doi: 10.3390/agronomy13081999 .
  10. Singh, Bhagirath; Rastogi, R.P. (May 1969). "A reinvestigation of the triterpenes of Centella asiatica". Phytochemistry. 8 (5): 917–921. Bibcode:1969PChem...8..917S. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85884-7.
  11. Singh, Bhagirath; Rastogi, R.P. (August 1968). "Chemical examination of Centella asiatica linn—III". Phytochemistry. 7 (8): 1385–1393. Bibcode:1968PChem...7.1385S. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85642-3.
  12. Joseph E. Pizzorno, Michael T. Murray (2012). Textbook of natural medicine (4th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. p. 650. ISBN   9781437723335.
  13. Torbati FA, Ramezani M, Emami SA (2021). "Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Features of Centella asiatica: A Comprehensive Review". Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology . 1308: 451–499. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-64872-5_25. PMID   33861456.
  14. "A selection of classic Burmese dishes". Travelfish. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  15. Bylka W, Znajdek-Awiżeń P, Brzezińska M (2014). "Centella asiatica in dermatology: an overview". Physiotherapy Research. 28 (8): 1117–1124. doi:10.1002/ptr.5110. PMID   24399761.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Gotu kola". Drugs.com. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  17. Tsoukalas D, Fragkiadaki P, Calina D (2019). "Discovery of potent telomerase activators: Unfolding new therapeutic and anti-aging perspectives". Molecular Medicine Reports. 20 (4): 3701–3708. doi:10.3892/mmr.2019.10614. PMC   6755196 . PMID   31485647.
  18. Abd. Manan, Fazilah; Chai, Tsun-Thai; Abd. Samad, Azman; Mamat, Dayangku Dalilah (1 April 2015). "Evaluation of the Phytoremediation Potential of Two Medicinal Plants". Sains Malaysiana. 44 (4): 503–509. doi: 10.17576/jsm-2015-4404-04 .