Botanical Name: Centella umbellata Willd./Hydrocotyle umbellata
Identification No: SDACH/HG/184
Family Name: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
Vernacular Names:
- Hindi: Brahmi
- Marathi: Khulakhula
- Tamil: Vallarai
- Kannada: Ondelaga
- Malayalam: Muthil
- Telugu: Saraswathi aku
Habitat & Distribution:
Centella umbellata is distributed widely across India in moist, shady places, often near water bodies. It grows as a creeping herb in marshy and tropical regions.
Morphology
- Root: Creeping, slender, with fibrous roots.
- Stem: Slender, prostrate or ascending, rooting at nodes.
- Leaves: Simple, reniform to orbicular, with rounded apex and cordate base, long petiolate.
- Flowers: Small, pinkish or white, arranged in umbels.
- Fruits: Cremocarp, small, laterally compressed, with mericarps.
- Seeds: Small and flattened.
Varieties:
- Centella asiatica (main Mandookaparni)
- Centella umbellata (Mandookaparni bheda, less common)
- Hydrocotyle spp. (closely related but not identical)
Substitute/Adulterant:
- Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides (common adulterant)
- Centella asiatica (interchangeably used but with phytochemical differences)
Phytochemicals:
- Asiaticoside
- Madecassoside
- Brahmoside
- Centelloside
- Triterpenoids
- Flavonoids
- Saponins
- Alkaloids
Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses:
External:
- Paste applied in skin diseases
- Promotes wound healing
- Used in burns and eczema
Internal:
- Enhances memory and intelligence
- Useful in anxiety, stress, insomnia
- Treats epilepsy and hysteria
Part Used:
Whole plant
Dose:
- Churna: 2–5 g
- Svarasa (Juice): 10–20 ml
- Kwatha: 50–100 ml
Yoga/Formulations:
- Saraswatarishta
- Brahmi Ghrita
- Smritisagara Rasa
- Medhya Rasayana Yoga
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated (NE)
Research Updates
- Kumar et al., 2022 – Neuroprotective efficacy of Centella umbellata in Alzheimer’s model in rats showed significant memory enhancement via antioxidant pathways.
- Singh et al., 2021 – HPLC profiling of active triterpenoids in Centella umbellata confirms presence of high asiaticoside content, supporting its traditional cognitive benefits.
- Rao et al., 2020 – Topical application of Centella umbellata extract demonstrated accelerated wound healing and collagen synthesis in animal models.
