Total Triterpenes
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Compound Class | Total triterpenic fraction — ursane-type pentacyclic triterpenes and their glycosides (saponins) |
| Representative Members | Asiaticoside, madecassoside (glycosides); asiatic acid, madecassic acid (free sapogenins) |
| Botanical Sources | Centella asiatica (gotu kola; pennywort; mandukaparni) |
| Plant Part(s) | Aerial parts (leaf and herb) |
| Typical Standardisation | Total triterpenes by HPLC; 20–40% common commercial range. The clinically studied fraction is known as TTFCA |
| Primary Applications | Wound healing and scar management, chronic venous insufficiency, collagen-stimulating cosmetic actives |
| Claim Strength (Overview) | Moderate — multiple RCTs in chronic venous insufficiency; collagen mechanism well characterized |
| Buy from Herbuno |
Total Triterpenes 40% Powder (Gotu Kola Extract) | Standardized Centella asiatica → Total Triterpenes 20% Powder (Gotu Kola Extract) | Standardized Centella asiatica → |
Name origin: "Total triterpenes" (or, in the clinical literature, TTFCA — the Total Triterpenic Fraction of Centella Asiatica) is a standardization convention rather than a chemical name, denoting the combined content of the plant’s four principal ursane-type triterpenes: the glycosides asiaticoside and madecassoside, and their corresponding free sapogenins asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Note that these are structurally distinct from the lanostane-type Ganoderma triterpenes documented separately in this index. Traditional use: Centella asiatica is one of the rare botanicals with genuinely independent, convergent traditional-use histories: it appears in Ayurveda as mandukaparni, a medhya rasayana (intellect-promoting rejuvenative) and wound-healing herb; in Traditional Chinese Medicine for skin conditions and wound care; and across Southeast Asian folk practice for leprosy-associated skin lesions and ulcers — a striking cross-cultural agreement on the wound-healing indication that modern collagen-synthesis pharmacology has substantially validated. Research trajectory: Centella research took an unusual path: the standardized triterpenic fraction (TTFCA) was developed and clinically tested in Europe, particularly Italy and France, from the 1970s onward for chronic venous insufficiency and microangiopathy, producing a body of randomized controlled trial data that is more substantial than most botanicals achieve; the compound class subsequently became a mainstream cosmetic active (marketed widely as "cica") on the strength of its collagen-stimulating mechanism. Commercial source: Centella asiatica aerial-part extract standardized to total triterpene content is the commercial format, with isolated asiaticoside and madecassoside also available for applications requiring a single defined molecule.
Evidence for Total Triterpenes Applications
The clinical evidence base for Centella’s triterpenic fraction is unusually well developed for a botanical. A systematic review examining the efficacy of Centella asiatica for chronic venous insufficiency assessed randomized controlled trials specifically, noting that the leaf triterpenes have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties in animal studies and promote wound healing by stimulating collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis as well as angiogenesis — the mechanistic foundation underlying both the venous and wound-healing indications (Chong 2013). The venous-insufficiency indication is notable for having been tested using the specifically standardized total triterpenic fraction (TTFCA) rather than crude plant material, meaning the clinical findings map directly onto a defined, commercially reproducible extract specification. Claim strength: Moderate.
The wound-healing mechanism is precisely characterized at the molecular level. A review of topical Centella application in wound healing details how the active compounds — asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid — enhance collagen synthesis, modulate inflammation, and provide antioxidant protection, with madecassic acid specifically contributing anti-inflammatory activity by downregulating iNOS and COX expression, and asiaticoside- and madecassoside-containing extracts inhibiting both COX-1 and COX-2 and reducing prostaglandin E2 generation (Pharmaceutics 2024). The same review notes that ethanol and methanol extracts were more potent COX inhibitors than aqueous extracts, a directly actionable extraction-method finding for formulators targeting anti-inflammatory activity. Claim strength: Moderate.
The collagen-stimulating mechanism is the through-line connecting Centella’s otherwise disparate applications: asiaticoside stimulates synthesis of collagen and other connective-tissue proteins by modulating fibroblast activity, including fibroblasts in the vascular walls, which improves vessel flexibility and tension. This single mechanism plausibly explains wound closure, scar remodelling, venous wall integrity in chronic venous insufficiency, and the compound class’s widespread adoption as a cosmetic anti-ageing and barrier-repair active — a rare case of one well-characterized pathway underpinning an entire commercial category. Claim strength: Moderate (mechanistic).
An important distinction between the glycosides and their aglycones: asiaticoside and madecassoside are the glycosylated forms present in the plant, while asiatic acid and madecassic acid are the corresponding free sapogenins. Available evidence suggests the glycosides may function partly as pro-drugs, being deglycosylated to the free acids, which are more lipophilic and may be the more directly active species at the tissue level. This has practical consequences for topical formulation, where the free acids’ greater lipophilicity may favour skin penetration relative to the more hydrophilic glycosides. Claim strength: Emerging.
Centella’s traditional Ayurvedic cognitive/nootropic indication (as a medhya rasayana) has attracted modern research interest but rests on a substantially thinner human evidence base than the wound-healing and venous applications documented above, with most supporting data drawn from animal models and small, methodologically heterogeneous human studies. Formulators should not extend the relatively robust venous/dermal claim strength to cognitive positioning without separate substantiation. Claim strength: Emerging.
Total Triterpenes 40% Powder (Gotu Kola Extract) | Standardized Centella asiatica →
Total Triterpenes 20% Powder (Gotu Kola Extract) | Standardized Centella asiatica →
Browse Standardised Extract Powders →
Dosage & Formulator Specification
Herbuno carries Centella asiatica extract standardized to 40% and 20% total triterpenes by HPLC, alongside isolated asiaticoside (80–95% grades) and madecassoside (90%) for formulations requiring a single defined molecule rather than the natural triterpenic fraction, and a range of unstandardized gotu kola formats including water-soluble and oil-soluble extracts suited to cosmetic phase-specific incorporation.
Clinical dosing for chronic venous insufficiency has centred on the standardized total triterpenic fraction (TTFCA) at doses in the range of roughly 60–180 mg/day of the triterpenic fraction, sustained over periods of weeks to months. For topical wound-healing and cosmetic applications, inclusion rates are considerably more variable and formulation-dependent; the oil-soluble format may be preferable for anhydrous or oil-phase incorporation given the free sapogenins’ lipophilicity.
Analytical verification should specify total triterpene content by HPLC with the individual breakdown of asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid, since the glycoside-to-aglycone ratio has practical consequences for both oral bioavailability and topical penetration, and since some clinical trial material was standardized on a specific defined ratio. Heavy-metal testing is standard given Centella’s documented capacity to accumulate soil contaminants, and this warrants particular attention for material of uncertain provenance.
Centella asiatica is generally well tolerated both orally and topically, with contact dermatitis being the most commonly reported adverse effect in topical use and mild gastrointestinal upset in oral use. Contact-sensitization cases have been reported in cosmetic contexts, warranting standard patch-test recommendation language for leave-on topical formulations. The European Medicines Agency has assessed Centella asiatica herb, providing a regulatory reference point for formulators working in EU markets. Standard caution regarding use in pregnancy is appropriate given limited data in that population.
Frequently Asked Questions — Total Triterpenes
What does TTFCA mean?
TTFCA stands for the Total Triterpenic Fraction of Centella Asiatica — the standardized combined content of the plant's four principal triterpenes (asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid). It is the specific fraction used in the European clinical trials on chronic venous insufficiency, which is why it maps directly onto a commercially reproducible extract specification.
How do Centella triterpenes help wounds heal?
They stimulate collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis and promote angiogenesis by modulating fibroblast activity. Asiaticoside specifically drives collagen synthesis in connective tissue, while madecassic acid contributes anti-inflammatory activity by downregulating iNOS and COX expression. This same collagen mechanism underpins the venous, dermal, and cosmetic applications.
What is the difference between asiaticoside and asiatic acid?
Asiaticoside is the glycosylated (sugar-bearing) form found in the plant; asiatic acid is the corresponding free sapogenin without the sugar. Evidence suggests the glycosides may act partly as pro-drugs, being deglycosylated to the more lipophilic free acids, which may be the more directly active species — relevant for topical formulation where lipophilicity aids skin penetration.
Are Centella triterpenes the same as reishi triterpenes?
No. Centella's are ursane-type pentacyclic triterpenes (asiaticoside, madecassoside), while Ganoderma's are lanostane-type triterpenoids (ganoderic acids). They share the C30 triterpene classification but are structurally and pharmacologically distinct, with entirely different applications and evidence bases.
Related compounds: Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Centelloside, Ursolic Acid
Claim-strength scale – High = multiple human RCTs; Moderate = limited trials or strong preclinical convergence; Emerging = early-stage lab or animal data.
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