Few botanicals generate as many mismatched quotations as Centella asiatica. The same plant trades under four or five names, its grades are expressed in at least three incompatible ways, and a “90%” from one supplier can mean something entirely different from a “90%” from the next. This guide sets out how the material is actually specified, so you can write an RFQ that returns comparable offers.
One plant, several names
Gotu Kola and Centella asiatica are the same species. So is what cosmetic formulators call cica, and what parts of the trade still call tiger grass. On an ingredient declaration you will usually see the INCI name Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract (or Centella Asiatica Extract, depending on the plant part), while supplement buyers more often use Gotu Kola. Material described as Madagascar Centella asiatica refers to a growing origin, not a different botanical or a different grade.
This matters commercially. Searching your supply base under one name only will hide offers filed under another, and a quotation for “Gotu Kola extract 10:1” is not a competing offer against “Centella asiatica extract, asiaticoside 20%” — they are different products at different price points. Always specify the botanical name plus the marker compound.
The four marker compounds that define a grade
Almost every commercial specification is built around four pentacyclic triterpenoids — saponins of the Centella asiatica leaf. Two are glycosides, two are their corresponding aglycones: the “genins” left after the sugar group is removed. When a datasheet refers to total triterpenoids, these are the compounds it means.
| Compound | Type | Typically specified for |
|---|---|---|
| Asiaticoside | Glycoside | The most commonly quoted single marker; available from low percentages up to high-purity isolate |
| Madecassoside | Glycoside | Frequently specified for cosmetic formulation, often together with asiaticoside B |
| Asiatic acid | Genin (aglycone) | Isolated high-purity grades where a defined actives load is required |
| Madecassic acid | Genin (aglycone) | Isolated high-purity grades; also supplied as part of a free-genins specification |
Because the glycosides and the genins are different molecules, a percentage against one is not interchangeable with a percentage against another. “40%” against total triterpenes, “40%” against asiaticoside alone, and “40%” against madecassoside plus asiaticoside B describe three distinctly different materials.
Three ways a grade gets expressed
Total triterpenes. The sum of the triterpene fraction, typically offered from around 10% up to 80%. This is the usual choice where cost-in-use matters more than a tightly defined actives profile. A water-soluble total-triterpene grade is also commonly available where the formulation cannot carry a poorly dispersing powder.
A single marker compound. Asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid or madecassic acid, assayed individually. This is what you specify when the actives load has to be defined and reproducible batch to batch. Asiaticoside is the most widely available across a broad percentage range; the isolated acids sit at the high-purity end.
A titrated extract. Often abbreviated TECA — a titrated extract of Centella asiatica, an extract obtained and standardised against a defined marker profile, standardised to a fixed ratio between asiaticoside and the genins rather than to a single number. Ratios vary between suppliers and between pharmacopoeial and cosmetic conventions, so never order against the abbreviation alone. State the exact ratio and the tolerance you require.
Ratio extracts are not standardised extracts
A great deal of confusion in this category comes from ratio material. A 10:1 extract states only how much raw herb went in relative to what came out — it says nothing about the triterpene content of the finished powder. Two 10:1 lots from different producers can differ substantially in marker content, because starting material and extraction route both vary.
If your formulation depends on a defined actives level, specify a standardised grade with an assay and a method. Use ratio material only where your own specification genuinely calls for it, and treat a ratio quote and a standardised quote as answers to two different questions.
Appearance is a rough proxy for purity
Across the commercial range, colour tracks refinement fairly predictably. Lower-percentage total-triterpene grades typically present as a brown powder. As purity rises, material moves through light yellow, and high-purity asiaticoside, madecassoside and isolated acid grades typically present as a white powder.
This is a useful sanity check on arrival, not a substitute for testing. A white powder sold as a low-percentage grade, or a brown powder sold as a high-purity isolate, is worth querying before it reaches production. Confirm against the certificate of analysis and, where the value justifies it, your own verification testing.
Assay method belongs in the specification
Marker compounds in this category are conventionally assayed by HPLC, and a specification that omits the method is incomplete. Two suppliers quoting the same percentage by different methods, or against different reference standards, may not be offering equivalent material. Ask for a typical certificate of analysis showing the method before you compare prices, and confirm that the method your quality team will use on receipt matches the one the specification was written against.
What to include in your RFQ
- Botanical name and INCI — Centella asiatica, and the INCI name if the material is destined for a cosmetic formulation.
- Marker compound and percentage — for example asiaticoside 20%, or total triterpenes 40%. Name the compound, not just a number.
- Assay method — HPLC, and any reference standard or pharmacopoeial monograph your specification is written against.
- Physical form — powder or water-soluble powder; particle size and solubility if your process is sensitive to them.
- Grade and intended application — cosmetic, dietary supplement, food or beverage. This drives the documentation set.
- Destination market and annual volume — regulatory requirements and pricing both depend on these.
- Documentation required — certificate of analysis, specification sheet, safety data sheet, and any origin or allergen declarations your market requires.
Regulatory and documentation notes
Centella asiatica extract is traded for both cosmetic and food or supplement applications, and the two routes carry different documentation and different permitted-use rules by market. Permitted status, use levels and labelling requirements vary by destination, and are the buyer’s responsibility to confirm for the market you are selling into. Nothing in a supplier specification substitutes for that check.
Where the material is going into a cosmetic formulation, confirm that the INCI name on the documentation matches what you intend to declare. Where it is going into a supplement or food product, confirm the grade and the documentation set are appropriate for that use in your destination market before you commit to volume.
Sourcing this ingredient through SpecNexa
SpecNexa lists Gotu Kola / Centella asiatica extract across a broad supplier-declared grade range — total triterpenes, water-soluble total triterpenes, asiaticoside, madecassoside with asiaticoside B, free genins, madecassic acid and asiatic acid — each reported by HPLC. If your specification is written against a marker compound or percentage not shown, include it in your request for quotation and it can usually be quoted.
All specification information is supplier-declared and provided for sourcing discovery. Buyers should confirm the final agreed specification, including assay method, grade and batch documentation, directly with the contracting supplier.