CLINICAL TRIAL article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Efficacy and safety of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. [Apiaceae] as a dietary supplement for glycemic control and lipid regulation in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial in Thailand
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Medicine, Walailak University, Thasala, Thailand
- 2Walailak University School of Medicine, Tha Wang, Thailand
- 3University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. [Apiaceae] (CA) as a complementary dietary supplement for glycemic and lipid control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients and methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at Walailak University Hospital, Thailand. Participants were assigned 1:1 to receive Centella asiatica (CA) extract 1,200 mg/day or matched placebo for 6 months. The primary outcome was glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Secondary outcomes were fasting plasma glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and adverse events. Results: Seventy participants completed the trial (CA n=34; placebo n=36). Median age was 57 vs 60 years, with women comprising 55.9% vs 41.7% (CA vs placebo). At 6 months, an unadjusted between-group difference in HbA1c was observed (p=0.006); however, in the prespecified adjusted analysis (ANCOVA controlling for baseline HbA1c, diabetes duration, and sulfonylurea use) there were no between-group differences in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, or LDL-C. Although small within-group reductions in LDL-C were noted, the adjusted between-group comparison was not significant (p=0.536), so lipid findings are exploratory. CA was well tolerated; mild, transient gastrointestinal symptoms were most common (5/34, 14.7%). Conclusion: CA supplementation was safe but did not produce a significant change in glycemic or lipid outcomes compared to placebo. Further studies with larger sample sizes, longer durations, and higher doses are warranted to verify potential metabolic effects.
Keywords: Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. [Apiaceae], type 2 diabetes, glycemic control, Lipid regulation, dietary supplement, Safety
Received: 06 Aug 2025; Accepted: 18 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tawanwongsri, Mordmuang, Phenwan and Siri-archawawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Doungkamol Siri-archawawat, doungkamol.si@wu.ac.th
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