Mandukparni (Gotu Kola) in Ayurveda: Properties & Everyday Use

In short

Mandukparni, known as gotu kola in English, is a plant of the classical Ayurvedic tradition. Classical Ayurveda describes it as bitter in taste, light in quality, and cooling by nature. It is known mainly through the classical texts rather than the everyday kitchen.

Good to know

This page is for learning, not a guide to taking it. If you're pregnant, nursing or take regular medication, check with your doctor before using it.

What it is

Read this first: mandukparni is not brahmi. Mandukparni is Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. (syn. Hydrocotyle asiatica L.), a slender, creeping, stoloniferous perennial herb of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), rooting at the nodes and growing in damp places across the tropics (EMA assessment report). The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India monograph "Mandukaparni (W.P.)" defines the drug as the dried whole plant of Centella asiatica (Linn.) Urban (API text, document view).

True brahmi, by contrast, is Bacopa monnieri: the API defines brahmi as the dried whole plant of Bacopa monnieri, and modern botany places it in a different family (Plantaginaceae). The confusion is real and commercial: the U.S. NIH LiverTox database lists "Brahmi (a name also used for Gotu kola)" among Bacopa's common names, and in North India Centella asiatica is often sold as "Brahmi" even though the API assigns the two plants different official names: Mandukaparni for C. asiatica, Brahmi for B. monnieri (API institutional holding: Wellcome Collection; NIH LiverTox; monograph review citing API). When buying either herb, check the Latin binomial on the label, not just the common name. Our brahmi article covers Bacopa monnieri.

The European Pharmacopoeia defines the herbal substance as the dried, fragmented aerial parts containing not less than 6% total triterpenoid derivatives expressed as asiaticoside: the triterpenes (asiaticoside, madecassoside and their acids) are the characteristic constituents (EMA assessment report).

Classical properties

Traditional use

European regulators' assessment documents long-standing traditional use of the herb, including for wound healing and for venous insufficiency in traditional Asian medicine (EMA assessment report). In classical Ayurveda the plant carries medhya (intellect-promoting) and rasayana (rejuvenative) associations, which is part of why it gets confused with brahmi: but those classical associations are traditional claims, not clinical proof, and the trial evidence is assessed separately below.

What research has looked at

Chronic venous insufficiency

The most-studied human use. A 2013 systematic review searched 13 databases for randomized trials of Centella asiatica in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and included eight studies: pooled data showed significant improvement in microcirculatory measures (transcutaneous oxygen and carbon-dioxide pressures), rate of ankle swelling, and venoarteriolar response, and the trials without quantitative data reported improvements in leg heaviness, pain, and edema. The authors concluded the herb "may be beneficial" but warned that most studies were inadequately reported with unclear risks of bias, which "may threaten the validity of the conclusions" (Chong & Aziz, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013).

Cognition

The European assessment is blunt: "there are no grounds to support a well-established use of Centella asiatica in improving cognitive function in humans" (EMA assessment report). Small trials exist, but no established cognitive benefit.

Wound healing

A prospective randomized study in 200 Thai patients with diabetic wounds tested oral Centella asiatica extract capsules as an adjunct: the kind of trial the EMA assessment surveys when reviewing clinical safety and efficacy data (EMA assessment report). Topical triterpene preparations also have a long traditional footprint in wound care. Human evidence that oral gotu kola heals wounds remains limited.

Safety notes

In the CVI trials reviewed, gotu kola was generally tolerated. The reported adverse events were minor stomach pain and nausea that occasionally led to discontinuation, plus one report described as "neurological absence" (as summarized in the EMA assessment). Oral administration has otherwise been associated with occasional gastric complaints and nausea, not significantly different from placebo in the available comparisons (same assessment). Overall human toxicity data remain limited, and longer, well-controlled safety studies are still needed. Talk to a qualified clinician before use, especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication.

FAQs

Is mandukparni the same as brahmi?

No. Mandukparni is Centella asiatica (gotu kola, family Apiaceae); brahmi is Bacopa monnieri (family Plantaginaceae): different species, different families. The API gives them different official names, but the trade often confuses them, so check the Latin binomial on the label (API; NIH LiverTox).

Does gotu kola help varicose veins or venous insufficiency?

A 2013 systematic review of eight randomized trials found it may improve microcirculatory measures and symptoms like leg heaviness, pain, and edema: but most trials were poorly reported, so the conclusion is cautious (Chong & Aziz 2013).

Does gotu kola help anxiety?

Only very preliminary evidence: one small study found a single dose blunted the acoustic startle response in healthy volunteers, without changing self-rated mood (Bradwejn et al. 2000). That is not evidence it treats anxiety disorders.

What dose of mandukparni is used?

Swastik does not suggest amounts. The right amount depends on the person, the preparation and the product, so check with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or your doctor before taking any herb.

Is gotu kola safe?

In small trials it was generally tolerated, with occasional stomach pain or nausea (EMA assessment). Overall human safety data are limited.

Sources

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Herbal products can interact with medications and are not suitable for everyone. Talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before use — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.

Related herbs

Herbs with overlapping classical actions and dosha effects in the Swastik herb library.

  • Ananta Mool — shares rasayana actions; also pacifies Pitta & Vata
  • Asphota — shares Medhya actions; also pacifies Vata & Pitta
  • Brahma rasayana — shares Medhya actions; also pacifies Vata & Pitta
  • Brahmi — shares Medhya actions; also pacifies Vata & Pitta
  • Brahmi Ghritam — shares Medhya actions; also pacifies Vata & Pitta
  • Brahmi Vati — shares Medhya actions; also pacifies Vata & Pitta
  • Draksha — shares rasayana actions; also pacifies Vata & Pitta
  • Ghrita — shares Medhya actions; also pacifies Vata & Pitta