Estimation of Asiatic acid, Asiaticoside and Madecassoside in two accessions of Centella asiatica (L) Urban for Morpho-chemotypic variation

Two morphologically distinct accessions of Centella asiatica (SL and LL) from Indo-Gangetic plains of India were compared in relation to the levels of triterpenoid saponins. The plant was evaluated through its morphology, quantitative microscopy and physico-chemical tests. The metabolites madecassoside, asiaticoside and its sapogenin asiatic acid were analyzed and quantified by HPTLC. A comparison and evaluation of different parameters together with triterpenoid content in these morphotypes are reported. Quantitative microscopical studies doesn’t show any significant difference except in terms of stomatal number, which was found to be higher in LL. Total sugar, starch, tannins and phenols doesn’t showed any significant variation in both accessions. Concentration of asiatic acid, asiaticoside and madecassoside found in SL accession were 0.04%, 0.34% and 0.38% respectively, while in LL it was 0.05%, 0.31% and 0.31% respectively. Thus, showing closely similar quantity of metabolites in both the morphotypes, it can be concluded that the leaf size is not a deciding factor for the concentration of secondary metabolites present in a plant. Reported data will contribute to the establishment of knowledge about the triterpenoidal saponin composition of different morphotypes of C. asiatica found in Indo-Gangetic plains of India and lays a foundation for future studies on Chemotypic variations.