Gotu Kola
Centella asiatica · Mandukaparni
A wound-healing herb with calming, pro-collagen effects.
Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
19 verified / 19
Classification
Ayurvedic
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
What is Gotu Kola?
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica · Mandukaparni) is an Ayurvedic herb used for wound healing & skin/collagen. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Gotu kola is used in both Ayurveda and TCM for the skin, circulation and mind. Its best-supported effect is wound healing: triterpenes boost collagen synthesis and re-epithelialization. Small trials also show anxiety-reducing and acute mood/alertness effects via GABA signaling, while broader cognitive benefits are mixed — a meta-analysis found no clear memory improvement. Promising but not definitive outside wound care.
Purported Benefits
✓Wound healing & skin/collagen
✓Reduced anxiety (small trials)
✓Possible alertness/mood
Evidence by outcome
The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.
| Outcome | Evidence | Effect | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wound healing & collagen/skinSystematic review of clinical trials plus a post-surgery RCT show enhanced re-epithelialization and collagen; too few trials for meta-analysis. | Moderate | ↑ benefit · moderate | 3 |
| Anxiety reductionReported in small early trials; not corroborated by larger controlled studies. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · small | 1 |
| Acute alertness / moodMeta-analysis found increased 1-hour alertness and reduced anger, but wide confidence intervals near the null. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · small | 1 |
| Cognitive / memory functionMeta-analysis of 11 RCTs found no significant benefit on any cognitive-function domain vs placebo. | Moderate | — no effect · negligible | 1 |
| Chronic venous insufficiency / leg edemaCochrane review (phlebotonics) shows probable slight edema reduction; CA-specific reviews note unclear risk of bias. | Moderate | ↑ benefit · small | 2 |
| Liver injury (hepatotoxicity)NIH LiverTox rates it a probable rare cause (score C), with ~4 reversible hepatocellular injury cases. | Preliminary | ⚠ risk | 1 |
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
~500 mg twice daily of extract.
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
Generally well tolerated; possible drowsiness and GI upset. Rare reports of liver effects at high/prolonged doses. Avoid in pregnancy and with sedatives or hepatotoxic drugs. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Gotu Kola with any medicine.
Key Studies ★ 19 studies
systematic review / network meta-analysis
Wrinkle systematic review and network meta-analysis (2020)
✓ PubMed
Systematic review and network meta-analysis of 5 double-blind RCTs (172 Asian women) concluded topical Centella asiatica improved lip and periocular wrinkles and markedly raised skin hydration, appearing more effective than Pueraria mirifica but possibly less than tretinoin, with fewer adverse events than tretinoin (10 vs 35); lack of extract standardization limited general application.
Systematic review
Martinez-Zapata (Cochrane) 2020
✓ PubMed
Cochrane review of 69 RCTs of oral phlebotonics for chronic venous insufficiency (Centella asiatica was one of the agents, 2 CA RCTs included): phlebotonics probably slightly reduce lower-leg oedema vs placebo (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.63-0.78) and reduce ankle circumference (MD -4.27 mm, 95% CI -5.61 to -2.93), with little/no effect on quality of life or ulcer healing and a slightly higher adverse-event risk (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.27); moderate-certainty evidence.
Systematic review
Arribas-Lopez 2022
✓ PubMed
Systematic review of clinical trials on Centella asiatica for wound healing: across included trials CA enhanced wound contraction, granulation, re-epithelialization and reduced healing time, likely via improved angiogenesis (stimulation of collagen I, FGF and VEGF) and anti-inflammatory effects (reduced IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, COX-2); authors note too few trials for meta-analysis.
Meta-analysis
Puttarak 2017
✓ PubMed
Systematic review/meta-analysis of 11 RCTs (5 of Centella asiatica alone, 6 of CA-containing products) found no significant benefit on any cognitive-function domain vs placebo, but improved mood at 1 hour: increased alertness (SMD 0.71, 95% CI 0.01-1.41) and reduced anger (SMD -0.81, 95% CI -1.51 to -0.09); no adverse effects reported.
Systematic review
Chong & Aziz 2013
✓ PubMed
Systematic review of 8 RCTs in chronic venous insufficiency: Centella asiatica significantly improved microcirculatory parameters (transcutaneous pCO2 and pO2, rate of ankle swelling, venoarteriolar response) and qualitatively improved leg heaviness, pain and oedema; conclusions tempered by unclear risk of bias and inadequate reporting.
Meta-analysis
Cognition meta-analysis
✓ Full text
No clear memory benefit overall — effects mixed.
clinical trial
Skin anti-aging clinical trial (2025)
✓ Source
Two-week trial of a Centella asiatica (CICA)-derived extracellular-vesicle topical (n=20, mean age 50.7) reported significant reductions in pore area (-17.9%) and pore density (-26.9%) and a 9.0% decrease in surface roughness, with no skin irritation.
RCT
J Cosmet Dermatol 2025
✓ Full text
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (n=24) of an oral Centella asiatica/bromelain supplement after Mohs surgery showed greater erythema reduction (4.83 to 1.25) and higher early healing scores at week 2 versus placebo (all p<0.001).
rct
Phase 1 RCT in cognitively impaired older adults (2022)
✓ Full text
Double-blind randomized crossover trial (n=4 mildly demented older adults) found triterpene aglycones asiatic/madecassic acid were bioavailable (asiatic acid Cmax 133-259 ng/mL) and treatment activated NRF2 antioxidant gene expression in blood cells, with good tolerability.
RCT
Lou 2018
✓ PubMed
52-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial in Type 2 diabetic neuropathy (CAST standardized triterpene extract n=21 vs placebo n=22): significant reductions from baseline in Total Symptom Score (p<0.01) and paresthesia (p<0.01) only in the CAST group; numbness worsened in placebo and was significantly lower with CAST (p<0.001); well tolerated.
randomized controlled trial
Diabetic foot ulcer RCT (2012)
✓ Full text
Single-center, randomized, controlled, open-label trial (n=24, Wagner grade 3 diabetic foot ulcers) found a topical Plectranthus amboinicus + Centella asiatica cream (WH-1) over 2 weeks was as effective and safe as hydrocolloid fiber dressing, with no significant difference in wound-size reduction (median 27.2% vs 22.6%, P=0.673) and Wagner-grade improvement in 90.9% vs 70% of patients (P=0.311).
Clinical trial
Anxiety RCT
✓ PubMed
Reduced anxiety; acute improvements in alertness and mood reported.
review
Neuroprotection review (2025)
✓ PubMed
Narrative review concluding Centella asiatica shows broad multi-target neuroprotective potential (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, mitochondrial-protective) across neurodegeneration, brain injury and mood disorders, but human clinical data remain limited and further trials are warranted.
Review
Pharmaceutics 2024
✓ Full text
Narrative review concludes topical Centella asiatica promotes wound healing via collagen synthesis, inflammation modulation, and antioxidant effects, with clinical benefit in diabetic ulcers, burns (Centiderm superior to silver sulfadiazine), scars, and post-laser wounds.
Observational
J Lasers Med Sci 2024
✓ Full text
Prospective experimental study (n=22) of fractional CO2 laser plus topical Centella asiatica for striae distensae improved INA severity score (7.04 to 6.77, p=0.014) and DLQI quality of life (9.72 to 3.18, p<0.001) at 12 weeks.
systematic_review
Chronic venous insufficiency systematic review (2013)
✓ Full text
Systematic review of 8 RCTs (522 patients) found Centella asiatica extract improved microcirculatory parameters versus control — reduced ankle-swelling rate, increased transcutaneous oxygen pressure (+6.63 mmHg) and improved venoarteriolar response — though authors judged overall efficacy evidence inconclusive due to unclear risk of bias.
systematic_review
Cochrane review: stretch-mark prevention (2012)
✓ PubMed
Cochrane systematic review of topical preparations in pregnancy reported that a Centella asiatica-containing cream (Trofolastin) was associated with fewer women developing striae gravidarum versus placebo (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.17-0.99) in one 80-woman trial, but overall evidence across trials was weak.
Study
Wound-healing trials
✓ Full text
Improved collagen synthesis, re-epithelialization and scar appearance.
authoritative_database
LiverTox NIH hepatotoxicity assessment
✓ Full text
NIH LiverTox database assigns Centella asiatica a likelihood score of C (probable rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury), documenting roughly four published cases of hepatocellular injury with jaundice (ALT up to ~1694 U/L) that resolved within 1-2 months after discontinuation.