Asiatic acid: a review on its polypharmacological properties and therapeutic potential against various Maladies

Asiatic acid (AA) is a natural aglycone of pentacyclic triterpenoids and is abundantly present in many edible and medicinal plants, including Centella Asiatica, which is a reputed herb for wound healing and neuropsychiatric disorders in many traditional medicine formulations. Asiatic acid has various pharmacological functions such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and controls apoptosis, which in numerous diseases credits to its medicinal impact. In preclinical trials, asiatic acid demonstrated potent antihypertensive, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and antitumor behaviors. It has been shown to influence multiple enzymes, receptors, growth factors, transcription factors, apoptotic proteins, and cell signaling cascades in several in vitro and in vivo experiments. This review aims to reflect the current therapeutic potential reports and the underlying pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of asiatic acid. In various diseases, studies display Asiatic acid's polypharmacological properties, therapeutic ability, and molecular pathways. With the available research data, asiatic acid appears to be a significant multi-targeted, natural-origin polypharmacological agent for further pharmaceutical production and clinical use. Provided advantageous pharmacokinetics, protection, and effectiveness, along with commonly used modern drugs. Asiatic acid may be a potential agent or adjuvant, with a pharmacological justification for its usage in therapeutics.