Anticancer actions of Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola)  by Joseph J Collins, RN, ND

Centella asiatica contains asiatic acid, which is known to inhibit proliferation (growth and spreading) and induce apoptosis (cancer cell death) in several tumor cell lines [1], including human gastric adenocarcinoma (MK-1) and human uterine carcinoma [2]. It can also have antitumor activity against human breast cancer (MDA MB-231) [3]. Apoptosis of SW480 human colon cancer cells was induced by asiatic acid [4]. Asiaticoside extracted from Centella asiatica can induce apoptosis and enhance anti-tumor activity of vincristine in cancer cells and might be useful in cancer chemotherapy [5]. Centella asiatica extract is associated with modification of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in colonic crypts and the extract has a chemopreventive effect on colon tumorigenesis [6]. Asiaticoside is effective in vitro and in vivo in inducing apoptosis and enhancing antitumor activity [7].

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References:
To review the PubMed listing of any reference, go to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ and enter the PubMed PMID number at the end of the reference.
[1] Wang L, Xu J, Zhao C, Zhao L, Feng B. Antiproliferative, cell-cycle dysregulation effects of novel asiatic acid derivatives on human non-small cell lung cancer cells. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2013;61(10):1015-23. Epub 2013 Aug 6. PubMed PMID: 23924616.
[2] Yoshida M, Fuchigami M, Nagao T, Okabe H, Matsunaga K, Takata J, Karube Y, Tsuchihashi R, Kinjo J, Mihashi K, Fujioka T. Antiproliferative constituents from Umbelliferae plants VII. Active triterpenes and rosmarinic acid from Centella asiatica. Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 Jan;28(1):173-5. PubMed PMID: 15635187.
[3] Pittella F, Dutra RC, Junior DD, Lopes MT, Barbosa NR. Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Centella asiatica (L) Urb. Int J Mol Sci. 2009 Aug 26;10(9):3713-21. doi: 10.3390/ijms10093713. PubMed PMID: 19865514
[4] Tang XL, Yang XY, Jung HJ, Kim SY, Jung SY, Choi DY, Park WC, Park H. Asiatic acid induces colon cancer cell growth inhibition and apoptosis through mitochondrial death cascade. Biol Pharm Bull. 2009 Aug;32(8):1399-405. PubMed PMID: 19652380.
[5] Huang YH, Zhang SH, Zhen RX, Xu XD, Zhen YS. [Asiaticoside inducing apoptosis of tumor cells and enhancing anti-tumor activity of vincristine]. Ai Zheng. 2004 Dec;23(12):1599-604. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 15601545.
[6] Bunpo P, Kataoka K, Arimochi H, Nakayama H, Kuwahara T, Bando Y, Izumi K, Vinitketkumnuen U, Ohnishi Y. Inhibitory effects of Centella asiatica on azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt focus formation and carcinogenesis in the intestines of F344 rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2004 Dec;42(12):1987-97. PubMed PMID:15500935.
[7] Al-Saeedi FJ. Study of the cytotoxicity of asiaticoside on rats and tumour cells. BMC Cancer. 2014 Mar 25;14:220. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-220. PubMed PMID: 24667059