Variation in the active constituent contents in Centella asiatica grown in different habitats in Nepal

Centella asiatica is an important medicinal plant of subtropical to tropical region. It grows widely, in different habitats. In Nepal, it is distributed at an altitudinal range of 96-2200 m above sea level. A comparative quantitative analysis of chemical constituents in Centella asiatica samples collected from three different habitats in Nepal was carried out by HPLC to evaluate the variability in the important constituents. There was marked variability in asiaticoside, asiatic acid and quercetin 3-O-glucuronide content among the samples collected from different habitats. Samples collected from open agricultural land showed the highest asiaticoside (1.91%), asiatic acid (0.13%) and quercetin 3-O-glucuronide (0.35%) content. Therefore, open land is preferable for plantation of this species for high yield of secondary metabolites. Key-words: Asiaticoside; asiatic acid; Centella asiatica; HPLC; medicinal plants; quercetin 3-O-glucuronide. DOI: 10.3126/botor.v7i0.4372Botanica Orientalis – Journal of Plant Science (2010) 7: 43-47