Known as a medicinal plant in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, gotu kola (Centalla asiatica) is a natural herbal remedy that can be used to treat venous skin ulcers (leg ulcers), burns, and wounds.3,24,40 In general, the constituents of gotu kola have a number of medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiviral, lymph-draining, and fungicidal effects.52
Modern research has led to commercial production of this herb for medicinal purposes in Western countries.51 One problem in developing an effective topical cream or skin gel application with extracts of gotu kola has been finding a medium that it is dissolvable in while maintaining pharmacological stability. Extensive testing of different bases has yielded gotu kola gels that can remain stable for at least a month at room temperature. Animal studies indicate that the asiaticoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid constituents in these gels produce significant healing of wounds.28
Results from a recent 3-year clinical trial on the use of Idrastin® lymph-draining cream containing gotu kola along with compression therapy suggest that it helped heal venous ulcers faster and more effectively than compression alone.56