What are the main components of centella asiatica extract

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The core active components of Centella asiatica extract are triterpenoid saponins (asiaticosides), supplemented by flavonoids, polysaccharides, as well as minor components such as organic acids, volatile oils and amino acids. Among them, triterpenoid saponins are the key substances determining its physiological activity and also the most concerned components in industrial applications. The active characteristics of each component are highly correlated with the application fields, and they are widely applicable to skin care products, functional health products, pharmaceuticals, daily chemicals and other fields, serving as a cross-field natural plant raw material.

The main active components of Centella asiatica extract are triterpenoid saponins (asiaticosides), which are also the most commercially valuable and iconic components of Centella asiatica extract. They include 4 core monomers, all of which are pentacyclic triterpenoids and serve as the core indicators for testing the purity of the extract in the industry:

Madecassoside: It is the monomer with the strongest activity and optimal water solubility, and is the most commonly used Centella asiatica component in skin care products.
Asiaticoside: It has slightly better fat solubility and significant tissue repair-promoting effect, and is widely used in both pharmaceuticals and skin care products.
Asiatic acid: It has prominent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, is fat-soluble, and is often used in functional health products and high-end skin care products.
Madecassic acid: It has both repair and antioxidant effects, has better water solubility than asiatic acid, and is suitable for the development of multi-dosage form raw materials.

Other auxiliary components include flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol, as well as Centella asiatica polysaccharides and other organic acids.

II. Core Application Fields Corresponding to Each Component

The application of Centella asiatica extract components is mostly based on compound synergy. In industrial production, total triterpenoid saponin extract is often used instead of a single monomer. Some high-purity single monomers (such as madecassoside) will be independently developed for specific scenarios. The following is a classification according to mainstream application fields to clarify the core role of each component:

Skin Care Products Field (the most mainstream, compatible with all components)

Centella asiatica is a "classic repairing raw material" in skin care products. Almost all components can play a role in this field, which is also the most mature commercial application scenario of this raw material:

Triterpenoid saponins (mainly madecassoside): They are mainly used for skin barrier repair and improving sensitive skin. Due to its good water solubility, madecassoside is suitable for water-based dosage forms such as toners, serums and facial masks. Asiaticoside and asiatic acid have excellent fat solubility, are suitable for oil-based dosage forms such as creams, lotions and essential oils, and are often added to acne-prone skin and post-medical aesthetic repair products.
Centella asiatica polysaccharides: They can replace some synthetic humectants in moisturizing lotions, creams and hand creams, and can also form a thin protective film on the skin surface to reduce external irritation.
Flavonoids: They assist in antioxidation and anti-inflammation, relieve skin dullness and redness caused by free radicals and external stimuli, and are often used as compound components in antioxidant skin care products.

Functional Health Products/Food Field (mainly triterpenoid saponins + flavonoids + polysaccharides)

Relying on the natural activities of "anti-inflammation, antioxidation and metabolism regulation", Centella asiatica extract is mostly used as a raw material for soothing, antioxidation and intestinal health in health products, which complies with the compliance requirements of food raw materials (without pharmacological claims):

Asiatic acid + madecassic acid: They mainly exert natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, are suitable for functional health products that alleviate mild inflammatory discomfort of the body and scavenge free radicals, and are mostly in the form of capsules and compressed candies.
Centella asiatica polysaccharides: They have intestinal microecology regulating activity, can be used as a prebiotic auxiliary component, and are added to intestinal health functional foods.
Total triterpenoid saponins: Some products use them as "body soothing" raw materials, suitable for soothing health products for mild muscle discomfort after sedentary sitting and exercise. They have no clear target organ effect and only serve as natural plant conditioning.

Pharmaceutical Field (mainly asiaticoside + madecassoside, included in the Pharmacopoeia)

Centella asiatica extract is a natural medicinal raw material included in the Pharmacopoeia. Only single/high-purity triterpenoid saponin monomers are used in pharmaceutical preparations, with clear clinical application indications:

Asiaticoside: It is mainly used to promote skin wound healing, and is made into external ointments and gels, suitable for wound repair of burns, scalds, surgical incisions and chronic ulcers, accelerating fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis.
Madecassoside: It is auxiliary used for microcirculation regulation, and is added to some oral preparations to improve peripheral microcirculation disorders.

Core Summary

Triterpenoid saponins of Centella asiatica extract are the core of its cross-field application. Among them, madecassoside is suitable for skin care products, asiaticoside is suitable for pharmaceuticals, and asiatic acid is suitable for health products. Flavonoids and polysaccharides act as auxiliary components, playing the roles of moisturizing, antioxidation and synergism in various fields. In industrial production, the component content of the extract will be customized according to the application scenario, which is also a typical representative of the customized development of natural plant raw materials. Natural Field Co., Ltd., as a global high-quality health raw material supplier, has focused on plant extracts for more than 20 years. It can provide various effective components such as asiaticoside, total asiaticosides and madecassoside with various contents, complying with USP standards and meeting the regulatory requirements of most countries.

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