Asiatic Acid 98%

The sugar-free triterpenoid of the centella saponins, asiatic acid is isolated here from the aerial parts of Centella asiatica by ethanol extraction and purification. It is an ursane-type pentacyclic triterpene with a carboxylic acid and four hydroxyl groups, and it is a white powder that does not dissolve in water.

The primary grade is 98% asiatic acid by HPLC, with a 95% grade also supplied, in Food / Dietary Supplement Grade. The aerial parts are the source, the root is not used, and the compound name together with the plant part is the identity of this product.

SKU: BOT-PHY-0071 Category: Phytochemicals Tags: Ethanol Extracted, Gotu Kola, Leaf & Herb, Plant Compounds, Softgels & Oil Fills, Terpenoids, Triterpenoids

Asiatic Acid Chemical Identity

Asiatic acid has the molecular formula C30H48O5 and a molecular weight of 488.7. The skeleton is the five-ring ursane system, with a double bond between C12 and C13, a carboxylic acid at C28, and hydroxyl groups at C2, C3 and C23. The hydroxyl at C23 is a primary alcohol on one of the angular methyl groups, and it distinguishes asiatic acid from the simpler ursolic acid, which has only the hydroxyl at C3. The several hydroxyls add polarity, yet the carbon skeleton is large and rigid enough that the molecule stays insoluble in water.

In the plant, asiatic acid is the aglycone of asiaticoside, a saponin that carries a trisaccharide chain on the carboxyl group. Madecassic acid, which has an extra hydroxyl at C6, is the aglycone of madecassoside, and the two acids are the pair that centella chemistry revolves around. The natural source is the aerial parts of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., known as gotu kola, a plant of the family Apiaceae. Related products are the Gotu Kola / Centella asiatica Extract 8% total triterpenes, the 10:1 Centella Extract Powder and the milled Gotu Kola (Centella) Powder. The extracts are defined by a combined triterpene content, and asiatic acid here is one purified compound.

The Indian name brahmi is used for centella in some regions and for an unrelated plant in others, so a specification should always give the botanical name next to the common name.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Natural Source	Centella asiatica aerial parts
Plant Part	Leaf & Herb
Processing	Ethanol Extraction & Purification
Compound Class	Triterpenoids, Terpenoids
Chemical Name (IUPAC)	(1S,2R,4aS,6aR,6aS,6bR,8aR,9R,10R,11R,12aR,14bS)-10,11-dihydroxy-9-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2,6a,6b,9,12a-hexamethyl-2,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a,10,11,12,13,14b-tetradecahydro-1H-picene-4a-carboxylic acid
CAS Number	464-92-6
Molecular Formula	C30H48O5
Molecular Weight	488.7
PubChem CID	119034
InChIKey	JXSVIVRDWWRQRT-UYDOISQJSA-N
SMILES	CC1CCC2(CCC3(C(=CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CC(C(C5(C)CO)O)O)C)C)C2C1C)C)C(=O)O
Purity	98% (HPLC)
Available Grades	95% · 98% (HPLC)
Grade	Food / Dietary Supplement Grade
Appearance	White powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Insoluble in Water
Quality Parameters
Moisture (LOD)	≤5.0%
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Asiatic Acid Purity Grades & Impurities

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
95% Asiatic Acid	HPLC	Oil dispersions and premixes
98% Asiatic Acid	HPLC	Capsules and reference-grade blends

Triterpenoid acids absorb only weakly in the ultraviolet range, so the HPLC assay is read at a short wavelength near 205 nm, where the carboxyl group and the isolated double bond respond. Many compounds also absorb there, which makes baseline quality and a well-resolved column essential. The percentage compares the main peak with the other detected peaks, and it leaves out water, ash and anything without a response.

The related substances are the other triterpenoids of the herb. Madecassic acid is the closest, and it differs by one hydroxyl, so it elutes slightly earlier and has to be resolved from the main peak. Terminolic acid, an isomeric hydroxylated ursane acid, is a structural neighbor, and the glycosides asiaticoside and madecassoside elute much earlier, so their presence signals incomplete hydrolysis. Ursolic acid and betulinic acid, common triterpenoids of other plants, are not expected from centella.

Hydrolysis conditions shape the impurity profile. Alkaline cleavage of the ester-linked sugar chain is the usual route to the free acid, and it can leave residual glycoside if the reaction is incomplete, while harsh acid can dehydrate hydroxyl groups. The 95% and 98% grades differ in the share of madecassic acid and glycoside. A white powder is the sign of a clean lot, and a cream or tan tone points to residual plant pigment. Moisture and ash are limited separately, and storage is sealed and dry.

Asiatic Acid Solubility & Delivery

Asiatic acid is insoluble in water and dissolves in ethanol, methanol, pyridine and dimethyl sulfoxide. It is a large, rigid, hydrophobic molecule with a high logP, in spite of its four oxygen-bearing groups, and it favors lipid and surfactant phases. The carboxylic acid gives salts with alkali, and such salts dissolve in water, but they are different chemical forms from the free acid supplied here.

Delivery of asiatic acid therefore depends on dispersion and particle engineering. Literature approaches include fine milling, wetting agents, oil suspensions, lipid carriers, cyclodextrin complexes and amorphous solid dispersions. In liquid bases, a suspending agent holds the solid, and a pH below the pKa keeps the molecule un-ionized. Dry blends hold the powder without moisture problems. Static complicates the weighing of small amounts, and grounded tools with a two-stage dry-carrier premix keep results uniform. Heating in strong acid is avoided, since it dehydrates the hydroxyls.

Application Areas

Oil-Based Softgel Suspensions

Softgels carry the milled acid dispersed in oil with an emulsifier. Settling is checked in the tank before encapsulation, since the crystals are denser than the oil, and the stirred fill keeps the dose uniform from the first unit to the last.

Capsule Fills of the Triterpenoid Acid

Capsules take asiatic acid at small weight. The white powder is electrostatic and cohesive, so a flow agent, anti-static scoops and a sieved premix give an even fill weight, and a dry room limits caking.

Tablet Blends With Wetting Agents

Tablets of asiatic acid combine a dry binder, a lubricant and a wetting agent. A disintegration and dissolution trial on the full blend, repeated after a month, confirms that the hydrophobic solid is released at the intended rate.

Aglycone and Saponin Comparison Blends

Formulators comparing centella forms blend asiatic acid with the saponin extract in fixed ratios. Each ingredient is weighed on its own, and an HPLC trace of the blend confirms that the ratios have not shifted.

Triterpenoid Reference Panels

Analytical teams use the 98% grade to confirm that a column separates asiatic acid from madecassic acid. The standard is stored dry, a retained sample is kept per lot, and the retention order is filed with the batch record.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.