Madecassic Acid

What is it?

One of the four major pentacyclic triterpenes isolated from Centella asiatica (alongside asiaticoside, madecassoside and asiatic acid), studied for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound-healing properties; distinct from the already-catalogued glycoside madecassoside, of which madecassic acid is the aglycone (non-sugar) form.

What does it do?

According to PubMed, a 2014 review of Centella asiatica in dermatology identifies madecassic acid as one of its main active triterpenes in wound-healing research (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5110). A 2023 review of asiaticoside and madecassoside notes their corresponding aglycones, asiatic acid and madecassic acid, as the plant's major bioactive constituents, with reported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound-healing activity (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.17635). A 2024 comparative study specifically testing all four Centella triterpenes side by side found madecassic acid reduced UVB-induced reactive oxygen species and improved cell viability in human skin fibroblasts, though asiatic acid showed the strongest overall effect of the four (DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13040483).

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