Centella asiatica effect on traumatic brain injury: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Mortality and morbidity in traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases remain a global problem. Various therapeutic modalities have been researched, including using herbal medicine. Centella asiatica has a lot of potential in neuropharmacology for various diseases. This systematic review aims to comprehensively review the currently available data about the impact of C. asiatica on TBI in a rat model. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to July 2023. This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Researchers screened the titles and abstracts of all identified studies and then selected relevant studies through full-text reviews. Studies reported the effect of C. asiatica on animal model of TBI were included in the study. Data were extracted, and the result was reported using descriptive analysis. The risk of bias was evaluated using SYRCLE. Results: Four studies met the inclusion criteria. One study highlighted the potential neuroprotective effects of Asiatic acid, one study explored spade leaf extract phytosome, while the rest used C. asiatica extracts. The primary findings of the included research revealed that C. asiatica might reduce oxidative stress, decrease neuronal apoptosis, have anti-inflammatory properties, alleviate neurological dysfunction, reduce cerebral edema, and boost cognitive performance in the TBI-induced rat’s model. Conclusion: This review suggests that C. asiatica had the potential to benefit the TBI-induced rat model in terms of decreasing morbidity. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to perform a meta-analysis and ascertain the effects of C. asiatica on TBI in animal models.