ALMOST we forget and maybe even every day we walk on when we walk in the grass a little moist herbaceous plants that spread on the ground with a lot of this functionality. Centella asiatica, commonly known as gotu kola, is a native plant of the islands that spread from the Indian ocean to the tropical regions of Asia. It mainly grows in Indonesia, east coast of Madagascar, Mauritius, and Reunion. This plant commonly found in moist areas, a suburb of swamps, riverbanks, and ditches. He is an annual herb plant herb or without stems, but with short rhizome and stolon-a creeping stolon, length 10 cm to 80 cm. Single leaf, arranged in a rosette consisting of 2 to 10 leaves, sometimes a bit hairy. Inflorescence a single umbrella or 3 to 5 together out of the axillary sheath. Fruit flat, about 7 mm width and height of approximately 3 mm, grooved two brownish yellow and slightly thick-walled.
Centella asiatica is known by the Latin name Centella asiatica or Hydrocotyle asiatica. The name is derived from the Latin words meaning water hydôr because he really likes moist and kotylê which means bowl because its leaves are slightly concave. Plants are also known as Asiatic pennywort pennywort and Indians are now widely used in Southeast Asia, India, and China since prehistoric times for various illnesses. In China, this plant is used as a tonic and treatment of leprosy. With a cool character, this plant is also used as anti-infective, anti-toxic, antipyretic, and diuretics. In ayurvedic system of medicine in India, is made in the form of syrup without alcohol for the treatment of epilepsy. In addition, in Thailand, also used as a tonic and for diarrhea. In Sri Lanka, this plant is widely used to increase spending on breast milk, while in Vietnam used to overcome the weak entity because of old age (senility). In Indonesia, this plant, according to Rumphius, is used to heal wounds, abdominal pain, de-worming, and bladder stones. According to Kloppenburg, this plant is also used to cure fever, blood purifier, hemorrhoids, dry cough, and illness of children bloody nose. Ridley also said the plant is used for leprosy and syphilis drug.
The main pharmacological effects of Centella asiatica is known to have come from the content of triterpenoid compounds of Asiatic acid, Madecassic acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside. It also contains Unidentified terpene acetate, camphor, cineole, campesterol, stigmasterol, sitosterol, polyacetylene compounds, kaempferol, quercetin, myo-inositol, vellarin, amino acids, and resins. Based on pharmacological studies conducted, have the effect of Centella asiatica stimulate hair and nail growth, increased development of blood vessels and keeping within the connective tissue (connective tissue), increase the formation of mucin (the main substance forming mucus) and forming the basic components, such as hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, increasing the power compact (tensile integrity), dermis (skin tissue below the epidermis), improving the process of keratinization (keratin formation) through stimulation of the epidermis on the outer layer of skin, and improve balance effects on connective tissue.
Approximately 90 percent of all women aged 18 or over suffer from cellulite or commonly known as orange-peel skin. Cellulite is a combination of fat, toxins (cellular wastes), and water-shaped masses, like a gel that is trapped in the connective tissue below the skin surface. Connective tissue will thicken and harden, giving rise to forms such as the mortar is not flat. This provides a form that is not good on the body that sometimes lead to lower one's self. This usually occurs in the hips and thighs, but can also occur in the arm, abdomen, and shoulders. Centella asiatica is a plant that effectively used to treat cellulite. Based on research conducted that 80 percent of women treated with gotu kola give satisfactory results in the treatment of cellulite. This is very related to the ability of Centella asiatica in strengthening the connective tissue structures and reduce pengerasannya to work directly on the fibroblasts. For a more satisfactory results, it is advisable to eat for 3 months because gotu kola for cellulite treatment does take a little time. In addition, in line with the working mechanism of Centella asiatica on the body, these plants also are clinically proven capable of treating burns, liver cirrhosis, keloid, scleroderma, and vein disorders. The interesting thing is once this gotu kola can also be used as a substitute for Ginkgo Biloba, especially to cope with early dementia or improve intelligence.
In concocting gotu kola as a drug, the recommended daily dose is 2-4 grams gotu kola (whole plant except the root) that has about 15-30 grams of dried or fresh gotu kola. For prevention, it can be used with a dose of 0.5 to 1 gram of dried Centella asiatica Centella asiatica fresh or 4-8 grams a day. From the results of the study also reported that this plant is practically non-toxic or safe to use. So, do not be afraid of that excess doses will cause side effects. Presentation can be done in the form of tea (dried and soaked in water like tea) or Centella asiatica fresh brewed with hot water for 10 minutes.
